# Why are DDGS prices falling right now? $169/ton national median as of Aug 17, 2026. Broadly flat for 3 weeks. _Data through Aug 17, 2026 · source last checked Aug 27, 2026 · page revised Aug 27, 2026_ > The DDGS national median has been broadly flat for 3 weeks, with no sustained move in either direction. The corn benchmark rose 2.5% over the same span (USDA). 11 regions contributed to the latest national median (USDA feedstuffs board). The market is in the summer stretch between planting and harvest, when old-crop supplies carry the board. DDGS prices have been broadly flat for 3 weeks, with no sustained move in either direction. For the current picture, see [DDGS prices by region](/ddgs). ## The numbers | Period | Current | Prior | Change | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Week over week | $169/ton | $165/ton | +2.7% | | Month over month | $169/ton | $164/ton | +3.4% | | Year over year | $169/ton | $150/ton | +12.7% | | vs 4-yr median | $169/ton | $174/ton | -2.8% | ## What makes DDGS prices fall The same structure that pushes DDGS prices up works in reverse to bring them down, and because DDGS supply is a co-product of ethanol production rather than a response to feed demand, falling stretches can run long: the tons keep arriving whether or not feeders want them. Corn is the most common leader. DDGS substitutes for corn in the ration, so a falling corn market drags every corn-alternative down with it — the [DDGS vs corn spread](/spread/ddgs-vs-corn) shows the pair, and harvest is the calendar's built-in corn-price reset: new-crop supply arriving from September through November tends to soften the whole feed complex at once. Ethanol plants running hard are the supply-side push. Strong ethanol margins mean full production runs, and every additional bushel ground puts more DDGS on the market whether or not feeding demand grew. The production backdrop on the [DDGS hub](/ddgs) is the public read on that flow. Soft protein markets remove the second bid. When soybean meal cheapens, DDGS loses its edge per pound of protein, the substitution buying that chased it fades, and the [cheapest-protein board](/leaderboard/cheapest-protein) shows the ranking flip back. Export lulls leave tons at home. When overseas buying slows, DDGS that would have shipped stays on the domestic board, and the FOB-plant quotes the [regional pages](/region) track tend to ease, plant-gate first. The summer lull is the demand calendar's low point. Between spring turnout and the start of winter feeding, cattle on grass need the least purchased feed of the year, so the same supply arrives against the year's weakest demand and the board drifts lower without any single event behind it. As with a rising week, a falling week is usually corn or ethanol economics leading, with protein markets, exports and freight deciding how far the decline carries. The [rising twin of this page](/why/ddgs-prices-rising) covers the same factors running the other way. ## About this data - Source: USDA AMS feedstuffs board - Series: DDGS (distillers dried grains) national cross-region median price - Basis: FOB plant preferred, as-fed $/ton - Geography: National - Unit: $/ton - Calculation period: Weekly cross-region median - Last observation: Aug 17, 2026 - Update frequency: Weekly --- Cite: The DDGS national median: $169/ton as of Aug 17, 2026 (USDA feedstuffs board, cross-region median). The Ration. https://the-ration.com/why/ddgs-prices-falling Canonical URL: https://the-ration.com/why/ddgs-prices-falling