# Corn gluten meal vs soybean meal spread Corn gluten 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_ > Corn gluten meal is $133/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. Corn gluten meal costs $133 more than soybean meal on an as-fed basis, or $137 per ton on a dry-matter basis. Soybean meal is the cheaper source of crude protein this week at $0.376 per pound versus $0.407, and the cheaper source on energy at $0.245 per pound of TDN versus $0.303. ## The numbers | Measure | Corn gluten meal | Soybean meal | Difference (Corn gluten meal − Soybean meal) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Price, $/ton as-fed | $491 | $358 | +$133 | | Price, $/ton dry matter | $539 | $402 | +$137 | | Cost per lb crude protein | $0.407 | $0.376 | +$0.031 | | Cost per lb TDN (energy) | $0.303 | $0.245 | +$0.058 | ## About Corn gluten 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.** Corn gluten meal is a bypass (rumen-undegradable) protein, roughly 57 to 60 percent of its protein escaping the rumen versus about 25 percent for soybean meal, so the two feed different protein fractions. [Feedipedia](https://www.feedipedia.org/node/715) notes corn gluten meal is low in lysine, so it complements rather than replaces soybean meal. 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: Corn gluten 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: Corn gluten 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/corn-gluten-meal-vs-soybean-meal Canonical URL: https://the-ration.com/spread/corn-gluten-meal-vs-soybean-meal