Madang Governor Ramsey Pariwa, in a strong public statement, pointed out that in order for the economy of this country to grow, more emphasis, support, and assistance should go to rural farmers. He said farmers are the primary money-making people. They make money and generate the income of this country. Mr. Pariwa was speaking at the Bates oval in the heart of Madang town yesterday in front of several thousands of people, mostly cocoa farmers from the rural districts of Madang and the town residents who gathered to witness the governor presenting a K1 million cheque to the Chief Executive Officer of the Cocoa Board, Jessie Anjen. The cheque presentation is for a major cocoa nursery roll-out program for bud wood and cloned cocoa seedlings in all six districts of the province starting this year and onwards. Governor Pariwa explained that the K1 million is part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Madang Provincial Government and the Cocoa Board of PNG last July worth K1.1 million for the cocoa development program in Madang; however, the Provincial Finance Officer with the Madang Administration failed to release the amount. However, he said the next K100,000 would be released soon. Mr. Anjen acknowledged the funding by the Madang Provincial Government and stated that his officers would commit themselves to seeing the program achieve tangible results for the cocoa farmers who matter most in this development. The ceremony was attended by members of the Provincial Executive Council, Madang Town Mayor Peter Yalsy, Madang Provincial Police Commander Acting Superintendent Robert Baim, the Community Affairs General Manager of Ramu NiCo Mine Eric Kuman, and the Madang Administration’s Economic Sector Director Peter Sagerom. Other key figures from the Cocoa Board office in Kokopo also accompanied Mr. Anjen to Madang to witness the ceremony.