By Joseph Wanzusi

MBALE farmers have received prizes worth sh10m from Kyagalanyi Coffee Limited. The farmers, who supplied 500 tonnes of fresh ripe cherries and 353 tonnes of dry coffee, received various prizes that included colour TV sets, DVD players, mobile phones, bicycles and other farm tools valued at sh10 million.

The manager of Mount Elgon Washed Arabica Project, Miranda Bowser, said Arabica coffee had the potential to be one of the best in the world and could fetch better prices for the farmers if it is grown and processed correctly.

Browser was handing over the prizes to 108 farmers for selling best quality coffee to Kyagalanyi Coffee limited, a member of Volcafe Group, one of the largest coffee buyers in the world.

Bowser said Kyagalanyi, under the project of buying from farmers, had started a long-term drive to improve the quality of Arabica coffee in Mbale.