Soybean Meal Price Per Ton (2026)
BEST AGRI BUSINESS — Trader based in Lomé, Togo. We supply 44% and 48% protein soybean meal to West African feed mills and international buyers. Request a FOB Lomé price →
The price per ton of soybean meal in 2026 hovers around $365/MT on the Chicago benchmark (CBOT), approximately €330-340/MT on European markets. For B2B buyers, this global price serves as a base, but the actually-paid price at mill gate or FOB export port depends on several variables: guaranteed protein, origin, quality, packaging, Incoterm and logistics. This article breaks down the soybean meal price in 2026, what moves it, and how to position for fair-price buying from West Africa.
Current soybean meal price per ton (2026)
Reference levels observed in 2026:
| Reference market | Price (2026) |
|---|---|
| CBOT (July futures) | ~ $332/st (≈ $365/MT) |
| US spot market | ~ $320/st (≈ $352/MT) |
| Europe (Hamburg/Rotterdam, 48% protein) | ~ €330-345/MT |
| West Africa (FOB Lomé, 48% protein) | on request, indexed CBOT + basis |
The CBOT July futures contract serves as the global barometer. Spreads between regional markets (the « basis ») reflect logistics, local availability and origin premium. In West Africa, meal can come either from local crushing plants (Lomé, Cotonou, Lagos) processing Brazilian or African soybeans, or from direct imports from Argentina and Brazil.
How soybean meal price forms
Soybean meal price is not decided in isolation — it’s a by-product of soybean crushing, inseparable from the price of the bean and soybean oil. When a crusher processes 1 tonne of soybeans, the average yield is: – 79% meal (≈ 790 kg); – 18% oil (≈ 180 kg); – 3% losses.
The « crush margin » — difference between the value of the two co-products and the cost of the bean — determines the incentive to crush, hence the supply of meal available on the market. When crush margin is high, crushers crush more, meal supply rises, and price tends to fall. Conversely when it tightens.
In 2026, the market sits in a configuration of short-term support: Argentine port strikes (dockworkers), strong European demand for US meal, sustained export dynamics — but with a downward pressure horizon linked to the record Brazilian 2025/26 harvest expected at 179.15 million tonnes.
West African buyer benefit — Buying your soybean meal from a Lomé-based trader means securing short logistics (no long-haul ocean surcharge), day-to-day price responsiveness and transparent CBOT indexing. Receive our latest offer →.
Variables that move actually-paid price
The CBOT price is only a starting point. Actually-paid price per ton varies according to:
- Protein content — 48% protein meal trades $8-15/MT more than 44%. Poultry and aquaculture feed mills favour 48%, cattle accept 44%.
- Urease activity and digestibility — cooking quality indicators. Poorly cooked meal (urease > 0.30) is downgraded.
- Origin — Brazil and Argentina offer the most liquid volumes; West African origins (local extraction) offer a freshness premium and a reduced logistics lead time for regional buyers.
- Packaging — bulk (in silo), big bags (1 MT) or sacks (50 kg). Bulk is cheapest but requires receiving infrastructure.
- Incoterm — EXW (mill gate), FOB export port, CFR/CIF import port. A CIF Casablanca price can be $30-50/MT higher than a FOB Lomé.
- MOQ and contract duration — an annual multi-container contract negotiates a better basis than a one-off spot.
Compare prices: CBOT, MATIF and Lomé mill-gate
For professional buyers, you need to read three reference markets:
- CBOT (Chicago): global reference in dollars/short ton (1 st = 0.907 MT). Most liquid market and base for most long-haul contracts.
- MATIF (Paris): European reference for meal and rapeseed. Contracts in euros/tonne, useful for European buyers.
- Physical regional market: EXW mill or FOB port price, negotiated bilaterally. This is where origin, quality and logistics spreads play out.
A structured buyer generally combines CBOT/MATIF hedging (to lock the commodity price risk) and physical purchase from a regional trader like BEST AGRI BUSINESS for effective delivery. This hedging / physical separation is industry standard.
How to get a real-time FOB Lomé price
Our soybean meal quotation process:
- You specify: quantity (MT), target protein (44% or 48%), Incoterm (FOB Lomé / CFR import port), packaging (bulk, big bag, sacks).
- We index the price on the most relevant CBOT contract + day’s West African basis.
- You receive an offer within 24-48 hours with detailed specs (COA), price, loading lead time and payment terms (LC at sight or TT).
Practical MOQs start at one FCL container (24-26 MT) for regional feed mills, and scale to several hundred MT for forward contracts.
Need a FOB Lomé soybean meal price for your 2026 contract? Free quote — 24-48h response, CBOT + West African basis indexed pricing, 44% or 48% specs of your choice. Request a quote →
Conclusion
Soybean meal price per ton in 2026 sits around $365/MT on CBOT, with a market configuration of short-term support but downward pressure ahead with the record Brazilian 2025/26 harvest. For buyers, the global price is a base — the actually-paid price depends on protein, origin, Incoterm and packaging. Working with a regional trader based in West Africa combines transparent indexing, short logistics and volume flexibility — suited as well for West African feed mills as for international buyers seeking alternatives to Brazil-Argentina flows.
Internal links: – Soybean oil price per ton (article G-EN — co-product) – Top soybean exporters and West African sourcing (article H-EN) – Product page: Soybean meal – Our West African sourcing services