# Canola meal vs soybean meal spread Canola meal versus Soybean meal: the raw $/ton spread, on a dry-matter basis, and on cost per pound of protein and energy _Data through Aug 17, 2026 · source last checked Aug 27, 2026 · page revised Aug 27, 2026_ > Canola meal is $7/ton over Soybean meal on a raw as-fed basis, but on the nutrient that matters here Soybean meal is the cheaper source of a pound of crude protein this week. A price screen, not a feeding recommendation. Soybean meal is cheaper on protein at $0.355 per pound of crude protein versus canola meal's $0.485, a $0.131 per pound spread. On energy, soybean meal runs $0.231 per pound of TDN against $0.259 for canola meal. Canola meal prices $7 per ton higher on an as-fed basis, but only $4 per ton higher on a dry-matter basis. ## The numbers | Measure | Canola meal | Soybean meal | Difference (Canola meal − Soybean meal) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Price, $/ton as-fed | $345 | $338 | +$7 | | Price, $/ton dry matter | $383 | $379 | +$4 | | Cost per lb crude protein | $0.485 | $0.355 | +$0.131 | | Cost per lb TDN (energy) | $0.259 | $0.231 | +$0.028 | ## About Canola meal vs soybean meal spread A raw $/ton spread is the starting point, not the answer. Two feeds at the same $/ton can deliver very different amounts of protein and energy per ton of dry matter, so the table above also shows each feed on a dry-matter basis and as a cost per pound of crude protein and per pound of TDN, the same math the nutrient-cost screening board runs. Basis: both are quoted fob plant, so the raw $/ton gap is a like-for-like comparison before freight. **Nutritional limits.** Canola meal runs lower in crude protein and energy than soybean meal, so more is needed to match its protein, and its fiber limits use in young monogastrics. Modern canola is bred low in the glucosinolates that constrained older rapeseed meal; [NDSU Extension](https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/extension/publications/alternative-feeds-ruminants) covers oilseed meals in ruminant diets. This is a price screen on one or two nutrients, not a feeding recommendation: inclusion rates, amino-acid balance, effective fiber and palatability are the nutritionist's call, not a price table's. ## About this data - Source: Derived from USDA AMS feedstuffs board prices - Series: Canola meal vs soybean meal - Basis: Two feeds differenced, as-fed $/ton - Geography: National - Unit: $/ton - Calculation period: Weekly - Last observation: Aug 17, 2026 - Update frequency: Weekly --- Cite: Canola meal vs soybean meal is n/a on a $/ton as-fed basis as of Aug 17, 2026 (USDA feedstuffs board). The Ration. https://the-ration.com/spread/canola-meal-vs-soybean-meal Canonical URL: https://the-ration.com/spread/canola-meal-vs-soybean-meal