Pesticide spraying is now taking place across the country to maximise the kill before the locusts grow wings. South Australia and Western Australia are the hardest-hit, but in the West, farmers are also facing the heartache of a drought. Jenelle Provost reports. If it does explode, it could cause a lot of damage in terms of income. The mood out there is quite sombre, but there's a great degree of resilience.
People are still prepared to fight on.
Our task is to give them the encouragement to do that. The scene looks picture postcard-perfect, swaying wheat browning for harvest. It's unbelievable that the whole of the southern part of Australia would be hit with the worst locust plague than probably in the history of Australia. Millions of hectares and billions of dollars are at risk, as farmers, scientists and governments work overtime to minimise the damage. While chemical control is a powerful tool, the weather can also help or hinder this war between man and insect.