A COFFEE grower whose business was decimated in the 1990s by over-zealous spraying for fruit fly has been awarded more than $6 million in damages after a 12-year legal battle.

Two other coffee growers on the Atherton Tablelands will be awarded more than $1 million and $1.84 million for their ordeal.

The saga started in 1996 when an outbreak of fruit fly in North Queensland led Queensland's Department of Primary Industries to spray several coffee farms on the Atherton Tablelands.

Mr Jacques said yesterday that when he and other farmers were initially approached by government agencies to spray their farm, they pointed out that coffee does not attract fruit fly.