# Sunflower Meal Leads Protein Board at 75% of Soybean Meal _Jul 2, 2026_ > Sunflower meal leads the USDA AMS protein board at $0.245/lb of crude protein, dry-matter basis, 75% of soybean meal. Hominy feed leads energy at $0.076/lb TDN, 81% of corn. Both benchmarks are below their five-year medians. Sunflower meal is the cheapest protein on the USDA AMS feedstuffs board this week, at **$0.245 per pound of crude protein** on a dry-matter basis, **75% of soybean meal's cost per pound**. Feather meal is second at $0.255 per pound (78% of soybean meal) and DDGS third at $0.292 per pound (90% of soybean meal). On energy, hominy feed leads at **$0.076 per pound of TDN**, 81% of corn's cost per pound of TDN on a dry-matter basis, with corn at about $145/ton (US #2 yellow, plant input cost) and soybean meal at about $309/ton FOB serving as the two benchmarks per USDA. [Chart: Sunflower meal price ($/ton, as-fed)](https://the-ration.com/ingredient/sunflower-meal) ([data](https://the-ration.com/ingredient/sunflower-meal.md) — chart image: https://the-ration.com/charts/ingredient/sunflower-meal/chart.png) - **DDGS** at about $155/ton delivers protein at 90% of soybean meal's cost per pound of crude protein, third on the protein board. On energy, DDGS prices at 105% of corn's cost per pound of TDN on a dry-matter basis, above the corn benchmark. - **Soybean hulls** are second on the energy board at $0.090 per pound of TDN, 96% of corn's cost per pound of TDN on a dry-matter basis. - **Yellow grease, California (Central Coast),** FOB plant, is at $60/ton, 80% above its five-year median per USDA AMS. Yellow grease across San Joaquin Valley (delivered, $64/ton, +53% vs. five-year median) and South (FOB $60/ton, delivered $72/ton, both +45% vs. five-year median) show the same pattern. - **Choice white grease, Chicago, IL,** delivered, is at $72/ton, 45% above its five-year median per USDA AMS. - **Almond hulls, California,** are priced 43 to 51% below their five-year medians (Sacramento Valley FOB $70/ton, San Joaquin Valley FOB $92/ton, South FOB $95/ton per USDA AMS), but all three California almond hull series are stale (see data note). Corn (US #2 yellow) held flat on the week at $4.05/bu per USDA. Soybeans (US #1) edged up 1% to $11.53/bu, 2% below the five-year median, with soybean meal at about $309/ton FOB. Data note: 38 series, including almond hulls (all California regions) and alfalfa pellets, have not updated in more than two weeks per USDA AMS. Figures from those series are stale. --- Canonical URL: https://the-ration.com/issues/2026-07-02