NAICS 115114 Quarterly Industry Report
Postharvest Crop Activities (except Cotton Ginning)
Comprehensive industry research for valuation professionals, business owners, buyers, and lenders
NAICS Code: 115114Sector: Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting (11)Updated: Q1 2026
About This Report
This Fair Market Value industry report for NAICS 115114 provides valuation-focused intelligence for professionals assessing postharvest crop activity businesses. Additional data is drawn from Bureau of Labor Statistics[8], U.S. Census Bureau[9].. Data is sourced from USDA NASS[6] crop production statistics, USDA ERS[7] crop marketing and conditioning cost analysis, and SBA size standards[10] to support business appraisals, acquisition due diligence, lending decisions, and investment analysis for postharvest service enterprises.
Industry Snapshot
Key metrics for the postharvest crop activities (except cotton ginning) industry.
Industry Definition & Overview
Postharvest Crop Activities (NAICS 115114) encompasses establishments primarily engaged in performing services on crops subsequent to their harvest, with the intent of preparing them for market or further processing. Services include crop cleaning, sun drying, grain drying, shelling, fumigating, curing, sorting, grading, packing, and cooling operations performed on a contract or fee basis. The U.S. Census Bureau[5] classifies postharvest crop activities separately from cotton ginning (NAICS 115111) and from grain elevator warehousing (NAICS 493130), recognizing the distinct service-based business model focused on crop conditioning and preparation.
Postharvest service providers serve crop farmers across grain, oilseed, fruit, vegetable, and specialty crop segments by adding value through moisture management, quality sorting, and market-ready packaging. The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service[6] tracks crop production volumes and harvest timing that drive seasonal demand for drying, cleaning, and conditioning services. Grain drying represents one of the largest postharvest service segments, as corn and other crops harvested at elevated moisture levels require commercial drying to meet storage and market specifications. Fruit and vegetable packing operations sort, grade, wash, and package produce for fresh market distribution channels.
Business valuations for postharvest crop operations center on facility infrastructure including dryer capacity, cleaning equipment, sorting lines, cold storage, and packing house improvements. Appraisers evaluate processing throughput capacity, customer contract stability, geographic proximity to crop production areas, and the seasonal revenue patterns that concentrate income during harvest and post-harvest windows. The USDA Economic Research Service[7] crop marketing cost data and commodity conditioning rate benchmarks inform income-based valuation models for postharvest service enterprises.
What's Included in This Industry
- Sector-specific valuation multiples and financial benchmarks for postharvest crop service operations
- Revenue and profitability analysis across grain drying, crop cleaning, sorting, grading, packing, and cooling segments
- SBA size standard classification and lending threshold data for NAICS 115114
- Comparable transaction data from recent postharvest service facility sales, packing house transfers, and grain dryer acquisitions
- Regional market analysis covering grain conditioning rates, produce packing charges, and crop preparation service demand patterns
- Workforce and labor cost benchmarking for facility managers, equipment operators, sorting line workers, and seasonal packing staff
- Industry risk assessment including crop volume variability, energy cost exposure, equipment maintenance requirements, and food safety compliance
- Regulatory compliance overview covering food safety modernization act requirements, fumigation licensing, and grain dust explosion prevention
- Capital expenditure profiles for grain dryers, seed cleaners, sorting and grading lines, cold storage, and packing line equipment
- Production metrics including bushels dried per day, pack-out rates, throughput per labor hour, and energy cost per unit benchmarks
NAICS Classification Hierarchy
| Level | Description | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Sector | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 11 |
| Subsector | Support Activities for Agriculture and Forestry | 115 |
| Industry Group | Support Activities for Crop Production | 1151 |
| NAICS Industry | Support Activities for Crop Production | 11511 |
| National Industry | Postharvest Crop Activities (except Cotton Ginning) | 115114 |
Related NAICS Codes
| Code | Description | Relationship |
|---|---|---|
| 115113 | Crop Harvesting, Primarily by Machine | Crop harvesting service operations that deliver freshly harvested grain and crops to postharvest facilities for drying, cleaning, and market preparation services |
| 493130 | Farm Product Warehousing and Storage | Farm product warehousing and storage facilities including grain elevators that receive conditioned grain from postharvest service operations for commercial storage |
| 115111 | Cotton Ginning | Cotton ginning establishments performing specialized postharvest processing for cotton that parallels grain drying and crop conditioning service business models |
| 424510 | Grain and Field Bean Merchant Wholesalers | Grain and field bean merchant wholesalers purchasing conditioned, graded grain from postharvest operators for resale to domestic processors and export channels |
| 115112 | Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating | Soil preparation, planting, and cultivating service providers that share custom farming client relationships and seasonal agricultural service business models |
| 423820 | Farm and Garden Machinery and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers | Farm and garden machinery merchant wholesalers supplying grain dryers, seed cleaners, sorting equipment, and packing line systems to postharvest service providers |
Geographic Concentration
Top states by share of national establishments.
| # | State | % Est. | Total Est. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 21.5% | 235 |
| 2 | Washington | 6.4% | 70 |
| 3 | Texas | 5.8% | 63 |
| 4 | Iowa | 5.1% | 56 |
| 5 | Georgia | 4.8% | 52 |
| 6 | Oregon | 4.7% | 51 |
| 7 | Oklahoma | 4.6% | 50 |
| 8 | Florida | 4.0% | 44 |
| 9 | Idaho | 2.8% | 30 |
| 10 | Illinois | 2.6% | 28 |
% Of Establishments
0%
22%
Source: County Business Patterns, U.S. Census Bureau[3]
SBA Lending Summary
48
Total SBA Loans
$20.6M
Total Loan Volume
$429K
Average Loan Size
9 yrs
Average Loan Term
8.17%
Average Interest Rate
776
Jobs Supported
Source: SBA 7(a) Program Data, U.S. Small Business Administration — FY 2025[4]
Key Insight: The SBA[11] classifies Postharvest Crop Activities (NAICS 115114) with a size standard of $34.0 million in average annual receipts. Postharvest service providers within this threshold qualify for SBA-backed lending[12], equipment financing, and USDA agricultural programs through the Farm Service Agency[13] for facility development and modernization. Eligible businesses can access SBA 7(a) loans[14] for working capital, equipment, and acquisition financing, while 504 loans[15] support major fixed-asset purchases including real estate and heavy machinery.
Top SBA Lenders
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Avg Loan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glacier Bank | 8 | $12.0M | $1.5M |
| 2 | CenTrust Bank, A Division of SmartBiz Bank National Associat | 8 | $2.8M | $350K |
| 3 | First Port City Bank | 8 | $2.6M | $325K |
| 4 | Celtic Bank Corporation | 16 | $2.4M | $150K |
| 5 | Washington Trust Bank | 8 | $800K | $100K |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this industry.
What is the NAICS code for postharvest crop activities?
Postharvest Crop Activities (except Cotton Ginning) is classified under NAICS code 115114, covering services such as grain drying, cleaning, sorting, grading, and packing per the U.S. Census Bureau[5] industry classification system.
What is the SBA size standard for postharvest crop services?
The SBA[11] sets the size standard for NAICS 115114 at $34.0 million in average annual receipts, qualifying eligible postharvest service operations for small business lending and facility financing programs.
What services are included in postharvest crop activities?
Services include grain drying and moisture management, crop cleaning and seed conditioning, fumigation, curing, sorting and grading, washing, cooling, and packing for fresh market distribution per USDA[16] agricultural service classifications.
How are postharvest crop service businesses valued?
Valuations focus on facility infrastructure capacity, equipment condition, customer contract stability, geographic proximity to production areas, and seasonal revenue patterns per USDA ERS[7] crop conditioning cost and marketing data.
What drives demand for grain drying services?
Corn and other crops harvested at elevated moisture levels require commercial drying to meet storage and buyer moisture specifications, with early harvest timing and wet weather conditions increasing drying demand per USDA NASS[6] crop progress data.
What regulations apply to postharvest crop operations?
Requirements include FDA[17] Food Safety Modernization Act compliance for produce packing, OSHA grain handling facility safety standards, fumigation licensing, grain dust explosion prevention standards, and state environmental permits.
What risks affect postharvest service operations?
Major risks include crop volume variability from weather and acreage shifts, energy cost exposure for drying operations, equipment maintenance requirements, food safety compliance costs, and seasonal revenue concentration during harvest periods.
How important is location for postharvest facilities?
Geographic proximity to crop production acreage is critical, as transportation costs and harvest timing constraints limit the distance growers will haul crops to postharvest service facilities, creating localized competitive markets per USDA ERS[7] farm structure data.
Sources & References
Government datasets and editorial sources used in this report.
- [1]U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages bls.gov
- [2]U.S. Census Bureau, Economic Census census.gov
- [3]U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns census.gov
- [4]U.S. Small Business Administration, SBA 7(a) Loan Program Data data.sba.gov
- [5]U.S. Census Bureau census.gov
- [6]USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service nass.usda.gov
- [7]USDA Economic Research Service ers.usda.gov
- [8]Bureau of Labor Statistics bls.gov
- [9]U.S. Census Bureau census.gov
- [10]SBA size standards sba.gov
- [11]SBA sba.gov
- [12]SBA-backed lending sba.gov
- [13]Farm Service Agency fsa.usda.gov
- [14]SBA 7(a) loans sba.gov
- [15]504 loans sba.gov
- [16]USDA usda.gov
- [17]FDA fda.gov
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