Farmers would like the support of Katherine residents for plans to base the Territory's cotton industry in the town.

A business case has been made for the location of a cotton gin in Katherine.

Cotton is being produced with significantly less water, land and insecticides than it was three decades ago.

It was a tough season for cotton producers, but ABARES says the only way is up off the smallest plant since the 1970s.

It has been a year where only the toughest of cotton crops survived, which has made the efforts of the FastStart award winners more special.