Why prices are moving
Near normalWhy are DDGS prices falling right now?
$175/ton national median as of Aug 24, 2026. The DDGS board has risen 6 straight weeks.
Data through Aug 24, 2026 · source last checked Sep 3, 2026 · page revised Sep 3, 2026
Cite
- National median
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
- Weekly cross-region median
- Last observation
- Aug 24, 2026
- Update frequency
- Weekly
The DDGS national median has risen 6 consecutive weeks, up $13/ton (+7.9%) since Jul 13, 2026. The corn benchmark rose 12.7% over the same span (USDA). 11 regions contributed to the latest national median (USDA feedstuffs board). The market is in corn harvest, when new-crop supply typically resets feed ingredient prices.
DDGS prices are not falling right now. The national median has risen for 6 straight weeks and is up $13/ton (+7.9%) since Jul 13, 2026. For the current picture, see Why are DDGS prices rising right now?.
| Period | Current | Prior | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week over week | $175/ton | $169/ton | +3.8% |
| Month over month | $175/ton | $165/ton | +6.6% |
| Year over year | $175/ton | $150/ton | +16.9% |
| vs 4-yr median | $175/ton | $174/ton | +0.9% |
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 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 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 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 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 covers the same factors running the other way.