Kampala — FINANCE minister Ezra Suruma is displeased that the agriculture ministry failed to spend $400m (about sh760b) for four years.

Suruma was equally angry that $75m (about sh142b) which the Government borrowed from the African Development Bank for irrigation four years ago had also not been used.

The project, he said, was supposed to be implemented by BOTH the agriculture ministry and that of water. He said money had been spent purportedly to boost irrigation but "there is hardly a thing on the ground".

"There have been many workshops and travels around the country. But the sector has to be hard-pressed to show where irrigation has been done."

Suruma said: "We have challenged the agriculture ministry to utilise the money but they haven't."

This, he observed, had hampered the Government's struggle to improve agriculture, which he said had stagnated. "This happens at a time when the population is growing rapidly at 3.4% per annum."

Suruma attributed the ministry's inefficiency to poor design of projects and ambiguity of objectives.

Asked why his ministry had not utilised the sh760b, agriculture minister Eng. Hilary Onek said he was not aware of the money.

"When did Suruma make such comments?" Onek asked. "I am going to call Suruma so that he explains it to me."

Over 190 participants from 21 countries in east and southern Africa attended the five-day workshop. The conference was organised to review the implementation of IFAD projects in the region.

IFAD, a UN agency, focuses on improving agriculture and reducing poverty in developing countries.

The agency, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, has invested more than $454m in Uganda, officials said.

It finances projects such as NAADS and the vegetable oil programme in Kalangala.