Province 14 of 34 | Central
Kabul کابل
Kabul is dominated by the city market, so ARMO deliberately looks to the rural belt of Shomali, Surobi and Musahi, where peri-urban growers need wholesale access without entering city congestion.
- Capital
- Kabul
- Region
- Central
- Area
- 4,687 km²
- Population 2025–26
- 6,173,494
- Density
- 1,317 per km²
- Districts
- 15
Potential marketplace network Estimated
-
1Kalakan District center
District: Kalakan
Aggregation hub linking to wholesale buyers
To nearest existing market: 25 km, 32 min
Producer HH ≤60 min: 227,975
-
2Surobi District center
District: Surobi
Aggregation hub linking to wholesale buyers
To nearest existing market: 26 km, 63 min
Producer HH ≤60 min: 28,150
| # | Site | District | Likely role | Lat, Lon | To nearest existing market | Producer HH ≤60 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kalakan District center | Kalakan | Aggregation hub linking to wholesale buyers | 34.7606, 69.1742 | 25 km 32 min | 227,975 |
| 2 | Surobi District center | Surobi | Aggregation hub linking to wholesale buyers | 34.5294, 69.7032 | 26 km 63 min | 28,150 |
Local products and producer groups Strong secondary
- Vegetables
- Grape (Shomali)
- Apricot & mulberry
- Dairy & poultry
- Wheat
Farming system: Irrigated horticulture (US$ 950 sales per participating household)
Producer groups: smallholder farmers, livestock and dairy keepers, women's household enterprises, small processors and traders
Crafts: Pottery (Istalif), embroidery
Market catchment and accessibility Estimated
| Site | HH ≤30 min | HH 30–60 min | HH 60–90 min | Producer HH ≤60 min | Addressable | Underserved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Kalakan | 53,989 | 824,185 | 88,617 | 227,975 | 28,681 | 0% |
| 2 Surobi | 7,879 | 27,340 | 749,372 | 28,150 | 6,747 | 5% |
HH = households of 7.7 people (ALCS 2016–17). The primary indicator is producer households within 60 minutes by road.
Infrastructure requirements
Road accessEstimated
Current situation: No site on a main road; all reached by rural roads or tracks
All-weather access road, hard-standing and turning area for trucks
ElectricityStrong secondary
Current situation: Grid reaches about 40% of Afghans nationally; rural sites mostly off-grid
Solar plus battery for lighting, weighing, phone charging and cold rooms; grid tie where a line passes
Solar potentialStrong secondary
Current situation: About 300 sunny days a year; high irradiance nationwide
Rooftop PV on market sheds (indicative 20 to 60 kWp per site)
Internet & mobileAssumption
Current situation: Mobile connections equal 52% of the population; district centers usually covered
Mobile money and price-information kiosk; verify signal on site
Dry storageEstimated
Current situation: Few formal stores outside provincial centers
Warehouse for vegetables, grape (shomali) with pallets and pest control
Cold storageEstimated
Current situation: Rare outside major cities
Solar cold room or evaporative store for fruit, vegetables and dairy
Water, sanitation & loadingAssumption
Current situation: Not assessed at site level
Borehole, washing area, separate latrines for women and men; loading bays, livestock pens, certified scales
| Infrastructure | Current situation | Requirement | Evidence status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Road access | No site on a main road; all reached by rural roads or tracks | All-weather access road, hard-standing and turning area for trucks | Estimated |
| Electricity | Grid reaches about 40% of Afghans nationally; rural sites mostly off-grid | Solar plus battery for lighting, weighing, phone charging and cold rooms; grid tie where a line passes | Strong secondary |
| Solar potential | About 300 sunny days a year; high irradiance nationwide | Rooftop PV on market sheds (indicative 20 to 60 kWp per site) | Strong secondary |
| Internet & mobile | Mobile connections equal 52% of the population; district centers usually covered | Mobile money and price-information kiosk; verify signal on site | Assumption |
| Dry storage | Few formal stores outside provincial centers | Warehouse for vegetables, grape (shomali) with pallets and pest control | Estimated |
| Cold storage | Rare outside major cities | Solar cold room or evaporative store for fruit, vegetables and dairy | Estimated |
| Water, sanitation & loading | Not assessed at site level | Borehole, washing area, separate latrines for women and men; loading bays, livestock pens, certified scales | Assumption |
Economic opportunity and employment Estimated Assumption
| Scenario | Participation | Producer sales | Other trading | Total turnover | Direct jobs | Indirect jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | 10% | US$ 3.4 m | US$ 886 k | US$ 4.2 m | 133 | 213 |
| Base | 20% | US$ 6.7 m | US$ 1.8 m | US$ 8.4 m | 226 | 362 |
| High | 30% | US$ 10.1 m | US$ 2.7 m | US$ 12.5 m | 318 | 509 |
Site columns are summed. The total is de-duplicated where catchments overlap.
Evidence
Population: strong secondary province totals, estimated catchments. Travel time: estimated from the OpenStreetMap road model. Products: strong secondary. Turnover and jobs: assumption parameters applied to estimated households. Site conditions: unknown until field validation.
Open these pages in the PDF (35–36) | Method, assumptions and sources