KATHMANDU, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Asian Development Bank (ADB)Friday agreed to provide a grant assistance to the government of Nepal amounting to 19 million U.S. dollars, Nepali national news agency RSS reported.

    According to an agreement signed by the ADB and the Nepal government here Friday, ADB will provide 18 million U.S. dollars for implementing Commercial Agriculture Development Project (CADP)in eastern Nepal.

    CADP aims to reduce poverty in the rural communities of eleven districts of Nepal's Eastern Development Region through equitable and sustainable commercialization of agriculture by improving efficiency of production, marketing, processing of high value crops such as vegetable, fruits, tea and spices.

    In addition to the CADP grant, ADB also agreed to provide a grant of 1 million U.S. dollars under Japan Fund of Poverty Reeducation Program to implement the program for Improving the Livelihoods of Poor Farmers and Disadvantaged Groups in four of the 11 districts, namely, Dhankuta, Morang, Saptari and Sunsari.