FOR every dollar spent by federal and state government agencies on locust control, $19 worth of crop and pastures were saved.

That's what an ABARES study has found.

The report found crop and pasture losses of more than $950 million were avoided by governments investing about $50 million on locust control.

The former Victorian Government budgeted $43.5 million for locust control, including $20 million for landholder spraying rebates.

Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig said experts feared the 2010-11 Australian plague locust season would be the worst in 75 years.

The study found the Australian Plague Locust Commission treated 798km of juvenile locust bands at a cost of about $17 a hectare, while states and landholders treated 10,139km at a cost of about $48 a hectare.

Senator Ludwig said despite the success in preventing widespread losses, locusts still managed to inflict significant damage.