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 million

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

35,410

producer households benefit commercially (93,878 get market access within 60 min)

246,004

underserved rural people get market access within 60 min

225

direct jobs, base case (+360 indirect jobs)

Potential marketplace network Estimated

1Chamkani District center

District: Chamkani

Producer marketplace and aggregation center

To nearest existing market: 42 km, 69 min

Producer HH within 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 within 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 within 60 min: 39,035

33.4194, 69.0342

#	Site	District	Likely role	Lat, Lon	To nearest existing market	Producer HH within 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, household enterprises, small processors and traders

Crafts: Woodwork, embroidery

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 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. 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: 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 million	US$ 1.1 million	US$ 3.7 million	142	227
Base	20%	US$ 5.5 million	US$ 2.2 million	US$ 7.4 million	225	360
High	30%	US$ 8.3 million	US$ 3.3 million	US$ 11.1 million	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