Sunflower Meal Deepens Protein Lead to 73% of Soybean Meal

Sunflower meal remained atop the protein leaderboard this week at $0.245 per pound of crude protein on a dry-matter basis, 73% of soybean meal's cost per pound, per USDA feedstuffs data. That is two percentage points below the 75% reading in last week's issue. Both benchmarks moved sharply on the week: corn gained 5.2% to $4.26/bu and soybeans gained 5.6% to $12.18/bu, lifting the soybean meal anchor to roughly $320/ton FOB and repricing the full substitution board.

• Feather meal is second on protein at $0.255/lb crude protein, 76% of soybean meal, dry-matter basis, per USDA.
• DDGS at roughly $163/ton prices protein at 91% of soybean meal and energy at 104% of corn, cost per pound on a dry-matter basis, per USDA feedstuffs.
• Hominy feed leads energy at $0.076/lb TDN, 77% of corn, dry-matter basis, per USDA. Soybean hulls (Kansas City region, FOB plant, $80/ton) follow at $0.090/lb TDN, 92% of corn. That price is 52% below the 5-year median, per USDA.
• Yellow grease (California) is running 50 to 92% above 5-year median levels, per USDA: Central Coast FOB $62/ton (+3% on the week, 92% above the median), San Joaquin Valley delivered $65/ton (+2%, 55% above), South California FOB $62/ton (+3%, 50% above).

Corn closed at $4.26/bu (+5.2% on the week), about $152/ton plant input cost, and is 3% above its 5-year median per USDA. Soybeans at $12.18/bu are 5% above the 5-year median. Soybean meal is at roughly $320/ton FOB. Summer old-crop tightness and ethanol run rates continue to set the DDGS supply context for the season.

Data note: 42 series including alfalfa pellets and almond hulls have not updated in more than two weeks per USDA AMS. Treat any figure flagged as stale as indicative only.