A public outcry led to a NT ban on GM cotton - less than two decades later the government is trialing it again here in Katherine.

A NORTHERN NSW cotton producer has been found guilty of illegally extracting water out of the Barwon River.

This week's record low water level in Fairbairn Dam at Emerald is expected to impact water allocations for both high and medium priority customers if there are no inflows before the start of July.

Cotton growers from the Northern Territory have toured southern Queensland and northern NSW growing regions to gain an insight into the process.

It hasn't been a particularly cheery start to 2019 for the cotton sector and international pricing trends are not helping the situation.

Calls to ban Australian cotton exports to save water in the Murray Darling Basin have been slammed by the industry.

Cotton Australia has hit back at claims the cotton industry was to blame for mass fish deaths in the Lower Darling River.

A northern NSW cotton producer has pleaded guilty to water offences, relating to pumping water during an embargo.

Cotton Australia expects total cotton production for 2018-19 to be less than half last year due to a lack of water.