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and detailed legends
Dr John E. Moxley
1966: first central computer, an IBM 1620
The first sample bottles are glass
1978: all of PATLQ is at the "Poultry"
building on the Macdonald Campus
In the decade of the 1990's, the leadership
of our shareholders was a decisive factor
for the development of PATLQ into
a future centre of expertise
Inauguration of Valacta, April 2006
Valacta, the Quebec dairy production centre of expertise, is the successor to the Programme d’analyse des troupeaux laitiers du Québec (PATLQ), which in turn, came from the Dairy Herd Analysis Service (DHAS), established by McGill University during the 1960’s. To better understand our history, here is a brief overview of the organization of milk recording in Québec and in Canada.
A century of milk recording
In 1905, the Canadian government established ROP (Record Of Production), a milk recording program to identify the best genetic purebred animals in Canada. British Columbia followed in 1913, with a provincial milk recording program. In 1931, the Québec government created a postal program. By 1950, most of the provinces had a milk recording program in place.
In the early 60’s, although Québec had 40 percent of the dairy farms in Canada, it was almost absent on the genetic front. Milk production was low and participation in milk recording was lower than in the rest of Canada and the United States. Forty years later, Québec has become a leader in dairy genetics and its participation in milk recording is among the strongest in North America. What happened to reverse the tide?
McGill University and the DHAS
In 1966, a visionary, Dr. John E. Moxley of McGill University, had the idea to combine an automated dairy laboratory with the emerging computer technology, in order to provide farmers with an accurate analysis of their herd, and with management tools to improve their productivity and profitability. With support from the provincial government, Dr. Moxley, along with his assistant Norm Campbell and a handful of young, dynamic people, launched the Dairy Herd Analysis Service (DHAS), also known as the “Macdonald College milk recording program”, which took on the mission of serving, bit by bit, the whole population of dairy producers in Québec and the Maritimes. In Quebec, this was the period of the “Quiet Revolution”: the Quebec dairy industry was in search of a vision and a plan in order to evolve. Leadership from the producers and other organizations involved in genetic improvement would soon make a major difference.
MAPAQ and PATLQ
In 1970, DHAS became a joint program of McGill University and MAPAQ (Quebec Ministry of Agriculture, Fischeries and Food). The name DHAS was changed to Programme d’analyse des troupeaux laitiers du Québec (PATLQ). The Quebec government clearly understood that PATLQ would become an important strategic force for the development of the dairy industry in Quebec.
In 1973, the Quebec genetic improvement partners (breed associations and the Quebec Artificial Insemination Centre - CIAQ) convinced MAPAQ to introduce a supervised milk recording program, in order to encourage the participation of producers in the development of genetics in Quebec. This program was going to have a considerable impact.
During the 1980’s, the Federal government terminated its milk recording program and consolidated it with the provincial programs. Thus, PATLQ and “ROP” were combined in 1989. As PATLQ then had about 9000 enrolled clients, McGill University and MAPAQ hoped that dairy producers would take it over as a development tool. FPLQ (Quebec's Federation of Dairy Producers) then became the majority shareholder in 1994.
Since 1996, in response to the increasingly diversified needs of dairy producers, PATLQ has broadened its array of services, providing much more than basic milk recording: analysis of milk urea nitrogen, milk analyses for payment to producers, data processing for all the Canadian dairy herd improvement agencies, access to reports over the Internet, development of cutting-edge software in partnership, group training sessions and strategic on-farm advisory services are all examples of this diversification.
After 40 years, Valacta
In 2006, just when PATLQ was celebrating its 40th anniversary, its three shareholders, FPLQ, MAPAQ and McGill University considered that, in order to be better prepared for the challenges of the future, the organization must broaden its orientations and open up to new partners.
To mark the birth of this vision, a new name has been adopted, which underlines our attachment to VALues, our commitment to ACTion and our love for the dairy life, which remains at the heart of our mission. And so was born Valacta.
Supported by the industry in its role as a dairy production centre of expertise, Valacta still aims for the original vision of Dr. John E. Moxley: to be a strategic force in the evolution of dairy production in Quebec.