Province 01 of 34 | Northeast

Badakhshan بدخشان

Mountain valleys with long winter isolation; trade concentrates in Fayzabad, Baharak and Kishim. A marketplace that aggregates livestock and dairy before winter closes the passes captures the largest gain.

Capital: Fayzabad
Region: Northeast
Area: 43,367 km²
Population 2025–26: 1,150,342
Density: 27 per km²
Districts: 28

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

US$ 6 million

base-case annual turnover (range US$ 3 million to US$ 9 million)

33,310

producer households benefit commercially (66,941 get market access within 60 min)

209,703

underserved rural people get market access within 60 min

194

direct jobs, base case (+310 indirect jobs)

Potential marketplace network Estimated

1Kishim Market town

District: Kishim

Aggregation hub linking to wholesale buyers

To nearest existing market: 32 km, 55 min

Producer HH within 60 min: 27,180

36.8178, 70.1014
2Baharak Market town

District: Baharak

Aggregation hub linking to wholesale buyers

To nearest existing market: 31 km, 48 min

Producer HH within 60 min: 30,183

36.9953, 70.8933
3Yaftal-e Sufla District center

District: Yaftal Sufla

Aggregation hub linking to wholesale buyers

To nearest existing market: 24 km, 52 min

Producer HH within 60 min: 21,581

37.3116, 70.3722

#	Site	District	Likely role	Lat, Lon	To nearest existing market	Producer HH within 60 min
1	Kishim Market town	Kishim	Aggregation hub linking to wholesale buyers	36.8178, 70.1014	32 km 55 min	27,180
2	Baharak Market town	Baharak	Aggregation hub linking to wholesale buyers	36.9953, 70.8933	31 km 48 min	30,183
3	Yaftal-e Sufla District center	Yaftal Sufla	Aggregation hub linking to wholesale buyers	37.3116, 70.3722	24 km 52 min	21,581

Local products and producer groups Strong secondary

Wheat
Potato
Sheep, goats & yak
Dairy (qurut, butter)
Apricot & mulberry
Walnut

Farming system: Livestock & cereal (US$ 600 sales per participating household)

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

Crafts: Wool textiles, embroidery, lapis lazuli craft

Market catchment and accessibility Estimated

Site	HH within 30 min	HH 30–60 min	HH 60–90 min	Producer HH within 60 min	Commercially addressable	Underserved
1 Kishim	16,187	14,468	66,085	27,180	13,770	34%
2 Baharak	15,569	25,491	9,088	30,183	13,112	30%
3 Yaftal-e Sufla	7,542	22,568	18,263	21,581	8,108	32%

HH = households of 7.7 people (ALCS 2016–17). The primary indicator is producer households within 60 minutes by road. Underserved % is the share of rural people within 60 minutes of the candidate site who are currently more than 60 minutes from an existing market. Commercially addressable households refer to producer HH.

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 wheat, potato 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 wheat, potato 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$ 2.1 million	US$ 1.1 million	US$ 3 million	127	203
Base	20%	US$ 4.2 million	US$ 2.1 million	US$ 6 million	194	310
High	30%	US$ 6.3 million	US$ 3.2 million	US$ 9 million	261	418

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 (9–10) | Method, assumptions and sources