# 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 24, 2026 · source last checked Sep 3, 2026 · page revised Sep 3, 2026_ > Canola meal is $13/ton under 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. Canola meal trades $13/ton under soybean meal as-fed, but that discount vanishes on a nutrient basis. A pound of crude protein costs $0.109 more from canola than from soybean meal. Energy prices the same way: canola costs $0.014 more per pound of TDN. ## The numbers | Measure | Canola meal | Soybean meal | Difference (Canola meal − Soybean meal) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Price, $/ton as-fed | $345 | $358 | -$13 | | Price, $/ton dry matter | $383 | $402 | -$19 | | Cost per lb crude protein | $0.485 | $0.376 | +$0.109 | | Cost per lb TDN (energy) | $0.259 | $0.245 | +$0.014 | ## 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 24, 2026 - Update frequency: Weekly --- Cite: Canola meal vs soybean meal is n/a on a $/ton as-fed basis as of Aug 24, 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