LONDON - Long associated with famine and agricultural decline, Africa has the potential and opportunity to raise its output significantly, experts say, with global agribusiness firms eyeing the prospects for growth.

While 21 of the 36 countries receiving United Nations food aid are in Africa, some states are already making good progress with debt relief, new Chinese investment and mining revenues from the global commodity boom may help others step forward.

The end of a series of long-running wars from Mozambique to West Africa have helped, with governments placing a higher priority on agriculture.

"Right now, Africa is in a really good moment," International Food Policy Research Institute development strategy and governance divisional director Shenggen Fan told Reuters from Washington.

"Ten years ago I was really depressed about Africa, but now I think it is really going in the right direction."

With many of Africa's poorest dependent on farming, agricultural growth could boost income, health and prospects.

Uganda is credited with boosting output with an agricultural extension programme, Kenya with increasing horticulture output and Zambia and Malawi -- both of which spent much of the decade struggling with food crises -- have moved into a maize surplus.

Aid workers complain Africa still has more than its share of agricultural disasters -- drought in East Africa last year, widespread shortages in southern and parts of West Africa the year before, and several states such as Swaziland and Zimbabwe that seem to have been in agricultural freefall for years.

Some experts say the continent -- with its high transport costs, low margins and buying power and large proportion of the world's poorest -- may be particularly badly hit by rising global food prices and record oil prices.

Developed world subsidies and tariffs make Africa less competitive.

POTENTIAL