Soybean Crush Demand Lifts Prices Across Soy Complex

Strong crush margins — now at multi-year highs — are encouraging processors to expand production.

Soybean plants growing in a field backlit by the sun

bobex73 - stock.adobe.com

LUBBOCK, TEXAS (RFD NEWS) — Strong domestic crush demand is driving higher soybean, soybean oil, and soymeal prices, according to analysis from the American Soybean Association and economist Jacquie Holland.

USDA’s latest WASDE report shifted 35 million bushels of soybean demand from exports into domestic crush, reflecting growing use tied to biofuels and livestock feed. That change helped support prices, with USDA raising the season-average soybean price to $10.30 per bushel.

Soybean oil is leading the rally. Increased demand tied to renewable diesel policy and tighter global energy supplies pushed soybean oil prices higher, with the USDA raising its price outlook 7 percent. Strong crush margins — now at multi-year highs — are encouraging processors to expand production.

Soymeal demand is also rising, supported by increased poultry and pork production as consumers shift toward lower-cost proteins. USDA raised soymeal prices by $10 per ton, reflecting strong domestic disappearance and export demand.

Globally, soybean supplies remain ample, but rising consumption — especially tied to energy and feed — continues to support the market.

Farm-Level Takeaway: Strong crush demand is supporting soybean price strength.
Tony St. James, RFD NEWS Markets Specialist
Related Stories
Transportation access, legal disputes, and fertilizer freight costs will directly influence input pricing and grain movement in 2026.
Despite China’s sharp drop in grain purchases this year, new USDA export data this week shows that even some buying activity from the trade giant still moves the markets.
Corn and wheat exports remain supportive, but weaker soybean demand — especially from China — continues to pressure oilseed markets.
Tim and Sharyn Abbott of the Music City Celebration Sale recap the weekend’s premier auction, which drew top dairy breeders and buyers to Nashville again this year from across North America.
China’s pullback is hitting core U.S. commodities hard, reshaping export expectations for soybeans, cotton, grains, and livestock.
Slower grain movement may pressure basis, but falling diesel prices could help offset transportation costs.

Tony St. James joined the RFD-TV talent team in August 2024, bringing a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective to RFD-TV and Rural Radio Channel 147 Sirius XM. In addition to his role as Market Specialist (collaborating with Scott “The Cow Guy” Shellady to provide radio and TV audiences with the latest updates on ag commodity markets), he hosts “Rural America Live” and serves as talent for trade shows.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Water access—not acreage alone—is driving where irrigation expands or contracts.
Credit stress is building for row-crop farms despite steady land values and slight price improvements.
The Lexington shutdown pushes national slaughter capacity utilization nearer long-run averages, underscoring how tight cattle supplies are reshaping packer operations.
Texas livestock producers face a heightened biosecurity threat as New World screwworm detections in northern Mexico coincide with FDA approval of the first topical treatment.
Working capital is tightening for crop farms, increasing reliance on operating loans even as land values steady in the broader sector.
Higher ocean freight raises export costs just as global grain competition intensifies.