The nation's largest dairy cooperative,Dairy Farmers of America Inc. (DFA) said it sold itsNational Dairycompany business for an undisclosed amount to Mexican dairy giantGrupo Industria LALA, based in Gomez Palacio. Dallas-based National Dairy is one of the nation's largest branded and private label milk processors with 18 facilities nationwide. Grupo Lala said the business will keep operating separately under President Rick Beaman.

The acquisition comes a little more than a year after Grupo LALA acquired a Wells Dairy yogurt operation in Omaha, Neb.

"Acquiring National Dairy and its leading regional brands provides LALA a unique opportunity to further broaden the manufacturing and marketing of value-added dairy products in the United States," said Eduardo Tricio, LALA chairman.

DFA said the divestiture enables the Kansas City-based cooperative to "invest in new strategic projects."