Small Katherine mango grower Norma Higgins was up 20 per cent on production, but said her quality fruit, which was known to head market prices, was down $6/tray.

"In 2011, prices were well down. The previous year, we had several trays well over $30, but this year we just had the odd one at $26, more likely to be $24; there was a huge reduction."

Late last year, the NT mango industry broke its predicted harvest of about three million trays, with reports of four-and-a-half million trays equating to $80 million.

A national fruit glut and colder southern weather were all to blame, Ms Higgins said.

She said an oversupply of other fruit such as peaches, nectarines and bananas and subsequently lower prices pushed customers away from mangoes.

Cool temperatures in the southern buying regions played havoc with the mango's tropical trademark.

"According to agents, one of the biggest problems was the dreadful weather down south, so people weren't buying. It was cold and raining, and people associate mangoes with tropical (conditions)," Ms Higgins said.

But there were a few bumps in the road to the flourishing fruit set.

At the end of last season's harvest in November, Katherine growers battled threats to plant health from high humidity.

Ms Higgins had to spray her 6000-tree orchard with fungicide to prevent disease, which she doesn't normally have to do.

The previous wet season also prompted a movement of bugs.

"Because of the bad wet season in 2011, there was a lot more bug activity, not necessarily good bugs, and that then meant some parts of the orchard didn't have fruit."

From now onwards, growers are praying for a good wet season to prepare the soils.

"We want a good wet to bring up subsoil moistures. We had some early rain in November, but not really since harvest. We need to see more rain," Ms Higgins said.

A healthy 2012 season is critical to the survival of small mango growers in the Katherine region.

Numbers have dropped off in recent years and the ones left have had to secure other sources of income, Ms Higgins said.

More commercial growers, the impact of Woolworths and Coles' market monopoly, and higher farm input costs have hurt smaller enterprises.

Ms Higgins is currently compiling lists comparing harvesting trends over the last three years, and the figures aren't encouraging.

"We're not jumping for joy and we're not certainly planning for overseas trips."