36?. Since the formulation of the Lagos Plan of Action, there has developed asignificant consensus among the African countrles themselves, the African regional organizati.ons, such as ECA and the African Development Bank, the United tlations and other' international organizatlons, such as Che Worl-d Bank and the International l,lcnetary Fund, on the proper policies and actions reguired to overcome the deepening crisis and put Africa back on the development path. ECA and lhe African DeveLopment Bank have concluded that African Governments should 'urgently improve the management of the publlc sector, create lhe environment for more initialive by indigenous entrepreneurs and foreign direct investors, set prices at sufficiently remunerative levels, [andl ellminate exchange rates that have not only discouraged lnvestment and production but have also led to widespread smuggling and black markets in foreign exchange'r. 5/ Since agriculture is the mainstay of sub-Sahafan African economies, lnproving agricultural performance is essential to ameliorating economlc conditlons and stimulating development in Africa, ECA and the African Development Bank have also concluded that the performance of agriculture in Africa can be improved substangially by providing adeguate farm credit facilities,sufficient supply and tlmely delivery of inputs, adequate marketing'infrastructural and storage factlities, and effectlve extenslon servlces. 6/ Although many African countries have al-ready adopted policies on some of tbese matters, much rnore remains to be done and a far greater effort must be placed on lmplementing the policies. 368. At the international level, action ls required to ensure (a) greater accessfor products from Afrlca in developed country markets, (bl higher and more stableprices for Afri.can exports and (c) a much larger flow of foreign .aid on concessionary terms, not only for emergency purposes, but more importantly for the long run, to suppor t. domestic reform programmes aimed at increaslng economicefficiency. The Committee for f,ievelopment planning has recently empbasized that "There is technical agreeftent that domestic policy reform and improved external
**Analysis**
The text discusses the development of Africa, specifically the need for African countries to improve their economic management, agricultural performance, and access to international markets. It also mentions the importance of foreign aid and concessionary terms. These themes suggest that the text is primarily focused on economic development and international trade.

**Category**
Economic development, International trade