Province 26 of 34 | Southeast

Paktya پکتیا

Highland agriculture around Gardez with pine nut forests in the east. Chamkani and Zurmat are natural rural hubs.

Capital: Gardez
Region: Southeast
Area: 5,466 km²
Population 2025–26: 667,956
Density: 122 per km²
Districts: 11

Map of candidate marketplace sites and their road catchments in Paktya — Orange pin: candidate site. Olive shading: 60-minute catchment (dotted line: 30 minutes). Square: provincial center. Circle: existing market. Brown shading: population density.

US$ 7.4 m

base-case annual turnover (range US$ 3.7 m to US$ 11.1 m)

35,410

addressable producer households (93,878 within 60 min)

246,004

underserved rural people brought within 60 min

225

direct jobs, base case (+360 indirect)

Potential marketplace network Estimated

1Chamkani District center

District: Chamkani

Producer marketplace and aggregation center

To nearest existing market: 42 km, 69 min

Producer HH ≤60 min: 37,805

33.7935, 69.7967
2Zadran District center

District: Zadran

Aggregation hub linking to wholesale buyers

To nearest existing market: 32 km, 47 min

Producer HH ≤60 min: 33,519

33.3399, 69.4086
3Zurmat District center

District: Zurmat

Aggregation hub linking to wholesale buyers

To nearest existing market: 27 km, 36 min

Producer HH ≤60 min: 39,035

33.4194, 69.0342

#	Site	District	Likely role	Lat, Lon	To nearest existing market	Producer HH ≤60 min
1	Chamkani District center	Chamkani	Producer marketplace and aggregation center	33.7935, 69.7967	42 km 69 min	37,805
2	Zadran District center	Zadran	Aggregation hub linking to wholesale buyers	33.3399, 69.4086	32 km 47 min	33,519
3	Zurmat District center	Zurmat	Aggregation hub linking to wholesale buyers	33.4194, 69.0342	27 km 36 min	39,035

Local products and producer groups Strong secondary

Pine nut
Wheat & maize
Potato
Almond
Sheep, goats & cattle

Farming system: Mixed farming (US$ 750 sales per participating household)

Producer groups: smallholder farmers, livestock and dairy keepers, women's household enterprises, small processors and traders

Crafts: Woodwork, 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 Chamkani	15,593	26,294	28,491	37,805	22,738	68%
2 Zadran	5,842	34,274	73,183	33,519	6,913	8%
3 Zurmat	10,841	36,596	65,306	39,035	7,242	2%

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: 2 of 3 sites on a main road; others on 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 pine nut, wheat & maize with pallets and pest control
Cold storageEstimated
Current situation: Rare outside major cities
Not a first-phase priority; drying yards and ventilated stores instead
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	2 of 3 sites on a main road; others on 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 pine nut, wheat & maize with pallets and pest control	Estimated
Cold storage	Rare outside major cities	Not a first-phase priority; drying yards and ventilated stores instead	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$ 2.8 m	US$ 1.1 m	US$ 3.7 m	142	227
Base	20%	US$ 5.5 m	US$ 2.2 m	US$ 7.4 m	225	360
High	30%	US$ 8.3 m	US$ 3.3 m	US$ 11.1 m	307	491

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 (59–60) | Method, assumptions and sources