Spreads
DDGS vs canola meal spread
Distillers dried grains (DDGS) versus Canola 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
Cite
- Distillers dried grains (DDGS)
- Canola meal
About this data
- Source
- Derived from USDA AMS feedstuffs board prices
- Series
- DDGS vs canola meal
- Basis
- Two feeds differenced, as-fed $/ton
- Geography
- National
- Unit
- $/ton
- Calculation
- Weekly
- Last observation
- Aug 17, 2026
- Update frequency
- Weekly
Distillers dried grains (DDGS) is $176/ton under Canola meal on a raw as-fed basis, but on the nutrient that matters here Distillers dried grains (DDGS) is the cheaper source of a pound of crude protein this week. A price screen, not a feeding recommendation.
Distillers dried grains (DDGS) costs $0.318 per pound of crude protein versus canola meal's $0.485 this week, making DDGS the cheaper protein source. On energy, DDGS is also the better value at $0.107 per pound of TDN against canola meal's $0.259. The raw as-fed spread is $176 per ton in DDGS's favor, data through 2026-08-17.
| Measure | Distillers dried grains (DDGS) | Canola meal | Difference (Distillers dried grains (DDGS) − Canola meal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price, $/ton as-fed | $169 | $345 | -$176 |
| Price, $/ton dry matter | $188 | $383 | -$196 |
| Cost per lb crude protein | $0.318 | $0.485 | -$0.167 |
| Cost per lb TDN (energy) | $0.107 | $0.259 | -$0.152 |
Previous weeks
Week of Aug 10, 2026
Distillers dried grains (DDGS) is $180 under canola meal on an as-fed basis through 2026-08-10, or $200 on a dry-matter basis. On crude protein, DDGS costs $0.310 per pound against canola meal's $0.485. On energy, DDGS prices $0.104 per pound of TDN against canola meal's $0.259.
An earlier week
DDGS costs $0.309 per pound of crude protein versus canola meal's $0.450. On TDN, DDGS is $0.104 per pound and canola meal is $0.240. On a dry-matter basis, the spread is $173 per ton.
An earlier week
DDGS prices at $0.308 a pound of crude protein, 68 percent of canola meal's cost. DDGS is $174 a ton cheaper on a dry-matter basis. DDGS also underprices canola meal on energy, at $0.103 a pound of TDN versus $0.240.
About DDGS vs canola 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. DDGS and canola meal are both mid-protein feeds but differ in profile: DDGS is higher in energy and in sulfur, canola lower in both with a favorable amino-acid balance for some diets. University of Minnesota Extension on DDGS and Feedipedia frame their limits; neither is a full soybean-meal replacement on protein quality alone. 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.