NAICS 111991

Overview

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the federal standard for classifying business establishments to support the collection, analysis, and publication of statistics about the U.S. economy. Developed under the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and adopted in 1997 to replace SIC, NAICS was created jointly with Canada and Mexico to enable cross-country comparability and is updated on a five-year cycle; the current vintage is 2022. ¹
U.S. national industry 111991 covers establishments primarily engaged in growing sugar beets. Census cross-references note that farms growing beets other than sugar beets are classified in 111219. ²

See also on G2X:

• G2X — NAICS 111991 (Sugar Beet Farming)
• G2X — NAICS 311313 (Beet Sugar Manufacturing)
• G2X — NAICS 111219 (Other Vegetable (except Potato) and Melon Farming)

What this NAICS covers

• Establishments whose primary activity is growing sugar beets for market. ²
• Sugar beet farming operations identified at the U.S. 6-digit national industry level. ²
• Sugar beet cultivation classified within NAICS industry group 11199 (All Other Crop Farming). ²
• Farms producing sugar beets regardless of organizational form (e.g., individual, partnership, or cooperative). Not specified by official sources ²
• Classification used by federal statistical programs to publish agriculture-related industry data on a NAICS 2022 basis. ³

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Type	Code	Descriptor
NAICS	111219	Other Vegetable (except Potato) and Melon Farming (includes beets other than sugar beets) 2
NAICS	111930	Sugarcane Farming (distinct from sugar beet farming) 2
NAICS	311313	Beet Sugar Manufacturing (processing/refining, not farming) 4
PSC	8915	Fruits and Vegetables (subsistence commodity category for federal purchases) 5

Cross‑references and exclusions (Census NAICS)

• Growing beets (except sugar beets) → classify under 111219. ²
• Growing sugarcane → classify under 111930. ²
• Manufacturing refined beet sugar from sugar beets → classify under 311313. ⁴

Frequently asked questions

• What activities qualify an establishment for NAICS 111991?
  Establishments are classified in this industry when their primary activity is growing sugar beets. Farms producing other beet varieties (e.g., table beets) are not included and fall under 111219. ²

• Is beet sugar processing part of NAICS 111991?
  No. Processing or refining sugar beets into sugar is manufacturing and is classified in 311313 (Beet Sugar Manufacturing), not farming. ⁴

• Which PSC codes are commonly associated with sugar beet commodities?
  Federal purchasing of fresh produce generally uses PSC Group 89 (Subsistence), including 8915 Fruits and Vegetables. Processed sugar and confectionery fall under 8925, not raw sugar beets. ⁵
  See also on G2X: PSC 8915, PSC 8925.

• Is NAICS 111991 recognized in current Census economic data?
  Yes. The Census Bureau is disseminating Economic Census and other program data on the NAICS 2022 basis under an implementation timeline through 2027, which includes agriculture classifications. ³

• What is the SBA small business size standard for NAICS 111991?
  SBA sets size standards by NAICS code and updates them via rulemaking. Refer to SBA’s current Table of Small Business Size Standards to determine the threshold applicable to 111991. ⁶
  See also on G2X: NAICS 111991.

Useful resources

• G2X — NAICS 111991 overview
• U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS 111991 description and cross-references. ²
• U.S. Census Bureau — Implementation of NAICS 2022 (timeline and program adoption). ³
• SBA — Table of Small Business Size Standards (current thresholds by NAICS). ⁶
• GSA — Product and Service Code (PSC) Manual (definitions including Group 89 subsistence). ⁵

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau. NAICS - North American Industry Classification System. https://www.census.gov/naics/
2. U.S. Census Bureau. NAICS 2022 Search — 111991 Sugar Beet Farming. https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=111991&year=2022
3. U.S. Census Bureau. The Census Bureau’s Implementation of the 2022 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). https://www.census.gov/library/reference/code-lists/naics/2022/implementation-timeline.html
4. U.S. Census Bureau. NAICS 2022 Search — 311313 Beet Sugar Manufacturing. https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=311313&year=2022
5. General Services Administration. Product and Service Code (PSC) Manual (April 2025). https://www.acquisition.gov/sites/default/files/manual/PSC%20Manual%20April%202025.pdf
6. U.S. Small Business Administration. Table of Size Standards. https://www.sba.gov/document/support--table-size-standards