Spreads
Whole cottonseed vs soybean meal spread
Whole cottonseed 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
Cite
- Whole cottonseed
- Soybean meal
About this data
- Source
- Derived from USDA AMS feedstuffs board prices
- Series
- Whole cottonseed vs soybean meal
- Basis
- Two feeds differenced, as-fed $/ton
- Geography
- National
- Unit
- $/ton
- Calculation
- Weekly
- Last observation
- Aug 17, 2026
- Update frequency
- Weekly
Whole cottonseed is $37/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 the cheaper source of crude protein at $0.355 per pound versus whole cottonseed's $0.886. Cottonseed priced under soybean meal on energy at $0.217 per pound of TDN compared to $0.231. Whole cottonseed is $37 per ton higher than soybean meal on a raw as-fed basis.
| Measure | Whole cottonseed | Soybean meal | Difference (Whole cottonseed − Soybean meal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price, $/ton as-fed | $375 | $338 | +$37 |
| Price, $/ton dry matter | $408 | $379 | +$28 |
| Cost per lb crude protein | $0.886 | $0.355 | +$0.531 |
| Cost per lb TDN (energy) | $0.217 | $0.231 | -$0.015 |
Previous weeks
Week of Aug 10, 2026
Soybean meal is the cheaper source of a pound of crude protein at $0.341 per pound versus whole cottonseed at $0.892. On a dry-matter basis, soybean meal trades $45 per ton below cottonseed. On energy, the feeds are essentially at parity, with cottonseed at $0.218 per pound of TDN and soybean meal at $0.223.
An earlier week
Soybean meal is the cheaper source of crude protein at $0.342 per pound versus whole cottonseed's $0.892 per pound. On energy, the two are essentially matched: whole cottonseed costs $0.218 per pound of TDN, soybean meal $0.223. Whole cottonseed carries a raw premium of $52 per ton as-fed, or $44 per ton on a dry-matter basis.
An earlier week
Soybean meal is the cheaper source of crude protein this week at $0.362 per pound versus $0.886 for whole cottonseed. Whole cottonseed trades $30 a ton higher as-fed and $20 higher on a dry-matter basis. On energy, whole cottonseed is the cheaper source at $0.217 per pound of TDN versus $0.236 for soybean meal.
About Whole cottonseed 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. Whole cottonseed brings protein, fat and fiber together, which is why dairies value it, but its gossypol and fat cap intake. Alabama Cooperative Extension puts a common rate near 5 to 8 pounds a cow a day for mature cattle, and it is unsuitable for swine, poultry and young calves. 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.