Institut de technologie agroalimentaire

The origins of the ITA date back to the 19th century. The first francophone school of agriculture was founded in 1859 in Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, while the dairy school in Saint-Hyacinthe was created in 1892.[3]

In 1962, the Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation du Québec (then Ministère de l'Agriculture et de la Colonisation) formed the Instituts de technologie agroalimentaire.[3] While the La Pocatière campus was an extension of the Faculty of Agronomy of Université Laval, the Saint-Hyacinthe campus was an extension of the dairy school.[3]

The ITA offers a total of eight CEGEP-level training programs, which lead to a Quebec Diploma of College Studies.[4] Most programs are offered at both campuses. They include:

• Gestion et technologies d'entreprise agricole
• Gestion et technologies d'entreprise agricole : Profils en production animale biologique
• Technologie des productions animales
• Paysage et commercialisation en horticulture ornementale
• Technologie de la production horticole agroenvironnementale
• Technologie du génie agromécanique
• Technologie des procédés et de la qualité des aliments
• Techniques équines

The ITA's above programs allows graduates to pursue university-level studies in related fields such as agronomy, agricultural economics, agricultural engineering, food engineering, biology, food science, and landscape architecture, amongst others.[5]

The ITA also offers one training program in equine massage therapy, which leads to an attestation of college studies.[6][7]

An agreement between the La Pocatière campus of the ITA and the Commission scolaire des Phares allowed the development of a vocational training program in animal production.[8][9]

• Official Website of the Institut de technologie agroalimentaire