THE LOCUST
Scot John battles devastating plague of bugs in Africa where a swarm the size of New York can devour enough food to feed 3million people .. in a day
A SCOT dubbed the “Locust Terminator” is waging war on billions of crop-eating beasts that pose a deadlier threat to developing countries than coronavirus.
John Clayton, from Glasgow, is battling one of the worst plagues seen in four decades by blasting bugs. Massive swarms of the insects havede v a st a t ed food supplies in countries like Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia. T h e United Na t i o n s ’ World Food Programme has warned parts of east Africa face a famine of “biblical proportions” as the locusts travel 100 mi l e s ever y day, devouring the same amount of food as three million people.
The UK has pledged £18million to the UN emergency appeal to tackle the problem and John is on the front line.
The 60-year-old bug buster said: “This is potentially even more deadly than Covid-19 for communities living in the countries affected that are seeing the worst locust swarms for over 70 years.
“A bad outbreak comes around about every 10 or 12 years but this is easily the worst we’ve had to deal with.
It’s compounded by the fact coronavirus travel restrictions are making it a lot harder to get supplies over and conduct training. The locust plagues are a crisis within a crisis.”
Technical director Clayton has travelled the world with special ist firm Micron Sprayers, which uses specially adapted planes, helicopters and trucks to wipe out locusts.
The Herefordshire firm supports the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation, which has just received the multi-million pound package from the Foreign Office to fight the swarms. The funding is on top of £8million pledged by the UK to the same appeal.
Some swarms are bigger than New York and the largest this year in Kenya covered 930 square miles.
Clayton said: “People in Scotland like a moan about midges but locust plagues pale that into insignificance. The situation in Africa, Pakistan and India is life and death unless we stop them.”
Minister for Africa, James Duddridge ,said UK expertise is playing a “crucial role in protecting vulnerable communities on the brink of starvation”.