Belwise Aquaculture v. US Dept Agri ( 2003 )


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  •                     IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
    FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT
    ______________________
    Nos. 02-30091, 02-30306
    _______________________
    TRUDY TYLER BELGARD; JIMMIE BELGARD,
    Plaintiffs-Appellants,
    versus
    UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, ANN VENEMAN,
    SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE; WILLY COOPER, Executive
    Director for Farm Service Agency for Louisiana; CRAIG MCCAIN, County Executive
    Director; ROBERT BRADLEY, Farm Service Agency Program Specialist,
    Defendants-Appellees.
    BELWISE AQUACULTURE SYSTEM INC.,
    Plaintiff-Appellant,
    versus
    UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, ANN VENEMAN,
    SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE; FARM SERVICES AGENCY;
    WILLY COOPER, Executive Director of Farm Service Agency for Louisiana; CRAIG
    MCCAIN, County Executive Director; ROBERT BRADLEY, Farm Service Agency
    Program Specialist,
    Defendants-Appellees.
    ________________________________________
    Appeals from the United States District Court
    for the Western District of Louisiana
    ________________________________________
    March 6, 2003
    Before KING, Chief Judge, and DeMOSS and CLEMENT, Circuit Judges.
    EDITH BROWN CLEMENT, Circuit Judge:
    Plaintiffs-Appellants Belwise Aquaculture Systems Inc. (“Belwise”) and Trudy and
    Jimmie Belgard (“the Belgards”) appeal the district court’s grant of summary judgment in
    favor of the Defendants-Appellees. We affirm essentially for the reasons given by the district
    court.
    Belwise and the Belgards are engaged in the business of farming and harvesting catfish
    fingerlings in Louisiana. In 1999, Belwise and the Belgards sought relief under the Crop Loss
    1
    Disaster Assistance Program (“CLDAP”) for losses suffered due to excessive heat during the
    summer of 1998. Belwise and the Belgards lost approximately 90 and 60 percent of their
    catfish fingerlings, respectively.1 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) distributed
    compensation to Belwise and the Belgards through the CLDAP, but they were unsatisfied
    with the amount of disaster assistance they received because the USDA did not compensate
    them for the loss of the entire crop. Instead, the USDA reduced their compensation based on
    two scientific conclusions: (1) 20 percent of the catfish fingerlings would die in normal
    circumstances, and (2) a maximum of 60 percent died as a result of the excessive heat in
    1998. Belwise and the Belgards unsuccessfully challenged the USDA’s reduction of their
    compensation in a series of administrative actions. In December 2000, pursuant to 
    5 U.S.C. § 702
     of the Administrative Procedure Act and 
    7 U.S.C. § 6999
    , Belwise and the Belgards
    filed suit in federal district court. The district court granted summary judgment in favor of the
    Defendants-Appellees.
    This Court reviews grants of summary judgment de novo. Travelers Cas. & Sur. Co.
    of Am. v. Baptist Health Sys., 
    313 F.3d 295
    , 297 (5t h Cir. 2002). “Summary judgment is
    appropriate when there is no genuine issue of material fact and the moving party is entitled
    to judgment as a matter of law. Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c). We view all evidence and factual
    inferences in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion.” 
    Id.
    During oral arguments, Belwise and the Belgards conceded the authority of the USDA
    to establish a normal mortality rate and a maximum loss rate. However, Belwise and the
    Belgards argued that: (1) the USDA did not follow the proper procedure in establishing the
    normal mortality rate, and (2) the USDA was obliged to consider any identifiable records
    supplied by the Plaintiffs-Appellants before applying the maximum loss rate.
    Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the non-movant, we conclude that
    there is no genuine issue of material fact essentially for the reasons set forth by the district
    1
    Even in the absence of excessive heat, it is normal for those engaged in the farming and harvesting of
    catfish fingerlings to lose a certain percentage of catfish fingerlings.
    2
    court. Therefore, the Defendants-Appellees are entitled to judgment as a matter of law.
    Accordingly, the district court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of the
    Defendants-Appellees is AFFIRMED.
    3
    

Document Info

Docket Number: 02-30306

Filed Date: 3/6/2003

Precedential Status: Precedential

Modified Date: 12/21/2014