Head office

PRIM’HOLSTEIN FRANCE is the French Prim’Holstein UPRA (breed selection and promotion unit), created by the French Animal Husbandry Act of 1966.

Given the complexity related to the existence of concerned parties for a same breed, the government decided to create an UPRA for each breed with a coordinating structure where all of the different participants could get together for the purpose of :
· firstly, exchanging their different objectives, determining mutual objectives, defining methods and making available the necessary means to carry out these objectives with a maximum degree of coherence and effectiveness,
· secondly, determining the contribution of each one, at the technical and/or financial level, whether it be breeders, selection organisations or related businesses,
· and, finally, implementing the specific collective tools necessary to promote the breed and its products

The HERD BOOK of the Dutch breed was created in 1922 in Lille, France, at the initiative of several breeders from the north of France. It only included breeders registered with the Herd Book. Its purpose was to register animals that corresponded to a breed standard that guaranteed their origins (registration of births and publication of directories).
After World War II, the activities of the Herd Book Society, established in Cambrai, France, rapidly increased at the same time that herds, devastated by the war, were replenished with cows imported from Holland. Milk recorting became mandatory for members as of 1948.
In 1952, the Dutch breed became known as the FFPN (Française Frisonne Pie Noire).
The 1960-70's saw the increased introduction of North American blood.

Cambrai office

The French Animal Husbandry Act was passed in 1966 but UPRA (still known as the FFPN at the time), was not created until 1975.
UPRA headquarters, known as PRIM’HOLSTEIN FRANCE since 1990, have been located in St Sylvain d’Anjou (Maine et Loire) since 1989 in order to be close to the heavy livestock production areas of western France.

Inauguration of headquarters