# Sunflower meal vs soybean meal spread Sunflower 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_ > Sunflower meal is $183/ton under Soybean meal on a raw as-fed basis, but on the nutrient that matters here Sunflower meal is the cheaper source of a pound of crude protein this week. A price screen, not a feeding recommendation. Sunflower meal is $0.088 per pound of crude protein under soybean meal, the cheaper protein source this week. On raw pricing, sunflower meal runs $183 per ton lower, a gap that widens to $209 on a dry-matter basis. Energy favors sunflower meal as well, at $0.149 per pound of TDN against soybean meal's $0.231. ## The numbers | Measure | Sunflower meal | Soybean meal | Difference (Sunflower meal − Soybean meal) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Price, $/ton as-fed | $155 | $338 | -$183 | | Price, $/ton dry matter | $170 | $379 | -$209 | | Cost per lb crude protein | $0.266 | $0.355 | -$0.088 | | Cost per lb TDN (energy) | $0.149 | $0.231 | -$0.082 | ## About Sunflower 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.** Sunflower meal is lower in protein and much higher in fiber than soybean meal, which lowers its energy and limits it in monogastric diets. [South Dakota State University Extension](https://extension.sdstate.edu/sites/default/files/2021-08/P-00205-14.pdf) positions it as a rumen-degradable protein for cattle, where the fiber is tolerated; its lysine is lower than soybean meal's. 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: Sunflower 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: Sunflower 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/sunflower-meal-vs-soybean-meal Canonical URL: https://the-ration.com/spread/sunflower-meal-vs-soybean-meal