Associated Milk Producers Inc. (AMPI) announced Monday that the dairy marketing cooperative recorded sales of $1.8 billion and earnings of $7.5 million in 2013.

American-style cheese production totaled 400 million pounds in 2013. It is the cooperative’s top product category. Powders, such as nonfat dry milk, whey protein concentrate and lactose, were sold to domestic and global customers as demand for milk proteins increased worldwide.

Cheese and butter packaged for consumers at the cooperative’s manufacturing plants grew once again. Cheese sales increased 7% while butter sales rose for the eighth consecutive year, posting a 3% gain. Nearly 70 percent of AMPI’s consumer-packaged business is sold to foodservice customers.

The co-op also reported these results from 2013:

• 5.8 billion pounds of milk marketed through 10 manufacturing plants.
• 2,600 AMPI dairy farmer-owners shared $10 million in equity payments.
• Nearly 70% of AMPI’s consumer-packaged cheese and butter was sold to foodservice customers.
• The export market accounted for 23% of AMPI powder sales, primarily to Mexico.
• A Parmesan cheese wheel produced at AMPI’s Hoven, S.D., plant was named Best Italian entry at the 2013 National Milk Producers Federation Championship Cheese Contest.

AMPI is a dairy marketing cooperative owned by 2,600 Midwest dairy farm families who operate farms in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota. AMPI members own 10 manufacturing plants and market cheese, butter and powdered dairy products, serving foodservice, retail and food ingredient customers.