Crawfish Farmers to Begin Making Pesticide Claims

The Advertiser reports that crawfish farmers are set to begin the process of staking their claims to the $24 million won in a legal settlement with Aventis Crop Sciences, a manufacturer of a pesticide linked to crawfish crop losses. Although the farmers actually won $45 million, about $21 million was "eaten up in court costs, administrative and lawyer fees." A claims office opened yesterday in Opelousas where farmers will be bringing production records, sales records, tax returns and expense accounts to prove their damages.

A court-appointed official will evaluate the claims and propose a compensation schedule. The schedule will then be given to State District Judge James Genovese, who presided over the five-year court case. He must approve the schedule before payments can go out.

Posted by AJR at August 3, 2004 12:01 PM