This explains to some extent why the partial indicators of productivity are much higher in Asian LDCs than in other LDCs. A survey was conducted with more than 100 agriculture experts working in Africa, asking them to identify the most important factors in advancing agriculture on the continent. Some 21 per cent of respondents identified such activities as enhancement of soil fertility, improved water management techniques and policy reform as the primary drivers of African agriculture, which were especially successful in southern Africa (Gabre-Madin and Haggblade, 2004).