Province 29 of 34 | North

Samangan سمنگان

Samangan combines rainfed wheat and rangeland with irrigated orchards around Khulm and Aybak. Marketplaces in the southern valleys connect remote producers to the Mazar to Kabul highway.

Capital: Aybak
Region: North
Area: 16,656 km²
Population 2025–26: 562,963
Density: 34 per km²
Districts: 8

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

US$ 3.6 m

base-case annual turnover (range US$ 1.8 m to US$ 5.3 m)

17,111

addressable producer households (33,446 within 60 min)

157,098

underserved rural people brought within 60 min

139

direct jobs, base case (+222 indirect)

Potential marketplace network Estimated

1Ruy-e Duab Market town

District: Dara-I-Sufi Payin

Producer marketplace and aggregation center

To nearest existing market: 39 km, 146 min

Producer HH ≤60 min: 12,068

35.9571, 67.2694
2Khulm Market town

District: Khulm

Aggregation hub linking to wholesale buyers

To nearest existing market: 52 km, 60 min

Producer HH ≤60 min: 17,694

36.6946, 67.6981
3Ruy Doab Market town

District: Ruyi Du Ab

Producer marketplace and aggregation center

To nearest existing market: 47 km, 185 min

Producer HH ≤60 min: 3,684

35.5600, 67.8254

#	Site	District	Likely role	Lat, Lon	To nearest existing market	Producer HH ≤60 min
1	Ruy-e Duab Market town	Dara-I-Sufi Payin	Producer marketplace and aggregation center	35.9571, 67.2694	39 km 146 min	12,068
2	Khulm Market town	Khulm	Aggregation hub linking to wholesale buyers	36.6946, 67.6981	52 km 60 min	17,694
3	Ruy Doab Market town	Ruyi Du Ab	Producer marketplace and aggregation center	35.5600, 67.8254	47 km 185 min	3,684

Local products and producer groups Strong secondary

Rainfed wheat
Pistachio & almond
Pomegranate & fig (Khulm)
Melon
Sheep & goats

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: Carpets

Market catchment and accessibility Estimated

Site	HH ≤30 min	HH 30–60 min	HH 60–90 min	Producer HH ≤60 min	Addressable	Underserved
1 Ruy-e Duab	6,875	6,943	18,101	12,068	9,605	100%
2 Khulm	10,614	35,622	92,804	17,694	4,993	15%
3 Ruy Doab	819	3,406	4,284	3,684	2,513	100%

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: All 3 sites on a main road
Hard-standing, parking and safe entry from the highway
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 rainfed wheat, pistachio & almond 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	All 3 sites on a main road	Hard-standing, parking and safe entry from the highway	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 rainfed wheat, pistachio & almond 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$ 1.3 m	US$ 499 k	US$ 1.8 m	100	160
Base	20%	US$ 2.6 m	US$ 998 k	US$ 3.6 m	139	222
High	30%	US$ 3.9 m	US$ 1.5 m	US$ 5.3 m	179	286

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 (65–66) | Method, assumptions and sources