In my current campaign as the Danes, Antioch was the first crusade target I conquered, and from it I have launched on the second crusade to take the holy city of Jerusalem from the Mongols.
Apart from being a military base, supplying swordstaff militia, crossbowmen and Norse war clerics, it is also a good source of income because of the mentioned sugar and cotton resources (I estimate that the guild-trained merchants from Antioch make 2.5k within the province alone, and my main merchant robber baron occasionally shakes down Mongol and Turk merchants for extra pocket money) Of course being the Danes, I have my capital at Arhus which is as far from Antioch as you can get (except maybe London or the Scottish capital) so even for 2 point merchants these resources already make a bundle.

So in my current campaign it is Antioch hands down.