There was no mention on progressing farmer plans for a new cotton industry in the Territory in yesterday's Budget.

Cotton farmers had lobbied hard for a $10 million public investment in a cotton gin located at Katherine to help kickstart the industry.

The Environment Centre NT's co-director Kirsty Howey said the centre was "watching closely" for any sign of public money being spent to lure big irrigators to the Territory.

"We're celebrating that the Gunner Government has, so far, ignored lobbying pressure from Big Cotton to ruin our rivers with irrigated cotton," she said.

"Even after cotton companies from down south have lobbied hard for millions in taxpayer funding during the election campaign, there's still no money in this Budget to prop up a cotton gin in Katherine that would help big irrigators get in the door.

More reading: Spending plans for Katherine announced.

"If done well, and in partnership with local communities and Traditional Owners, the planned Katherine Agribusiness and Logistics Hub could help local farmers, growers and truckers instead.

"The introduction of the large-scale irrigated cotton industry into the Big Rivers region would threaten our water, our fishing and local farms right when we can't afford it."

Enthusiasm for cotton is growing fast but farmers say despite the potential of the broadacre crop in the Katherine region, it needs to be close to a production site to be ensured success.

About 1000 hectares of cotton is being grown in trial sites across the Territory on five properties in Douglas Daly, Katherine and at Tipperary.

A business case to support the cotton gin proposal, suggests many recent land sales in the Territory were by buyers with interest in converting pastoral lands to broadacre crops.

Within a decade the industry could be worth at least $200 million and directly employ over 250 workers, NT Farmers chief executive Paul Burke has said.

Mr Burke said modern growing practices put lie to the reputation of cotton as a "thirsty crop".

This Budget includes spending of $29m on the Katherine Agribusiness and Logistics Hub, focused on headworks and subdivision of the land out at the train station.

Farmers led the push for a cotton gin to be built, expected to cost almost $30 million, at the long planned Logistics and Agribusiness Hub.

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