State Governance of Information Processes in Kazakhstan’s Regions: A Sectoral Case Study of Agriculture in the Digital Economy

Lyazzat Akilzhanova

Economics Department, Karaganda University of Kazpotrebsoyuz, Karaganda 100026, Kazakhstan

Azamat Zhanseitov

Department of Business and Administration, Turan‑Astana University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan

Кuralay Belgibayeva

Department of Business and Administration, Turan‑Astana University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan

Nurgul Kuttybayeva

Economics Department, Buketov Karaganda National Research University, Karaganda 100026, Kazakhstan

Laura Alimbayeva

Department of Analysis, National Bank of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36956/rwae.v6i4.2832

Received: 15 October 2025 | Revised: 17 November 2025 | Accepted: 21 November 2025 | Published Online: 3 December 2025

Copyright © 2025 Lyazzat Akilzhanova, Azamat Zhanseitov, Кuralay Belgibayeva, Nurgul Kuttybayeva, Laura Alimbayeva. Published by Nan Yang Academy of Sciences Pte. Ltd.

Creative Commons LicenseThis is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.


Abstract

The analysis of panel data on twenty-one regions of Kazakhstan for the period 2015−2024 revealed stable patterns that determine the effectiveness of agriculture in the context of structural modernization of the economy. The use of several regression models provided a comprehensive review of the impact of human capital, government subsidies, innovation, investment environment, exports, and digitalization processes on the productivity dynamics of the agricultural sector. The results showed that human capital, innovation, government support, and export orientation are key factors in improving efficiency. The impact of digitalization turned out to be contradictory, which is explained by the heterogeneity of regional development, differences in the level of technological readiness, and the time gap between the introduction of innovations and their economic effect. The introduction of interactive variables made it possible to record the mutual strengthening of the action of human and technological factors that form a steady increase in productivity. The established dependencies confirm the need for a systematic approach to agricultural policy, where the development of digital infrastructure, the improvement of institutional mechanisms, and the strengthening of human resources are considered as interrelated areas of modernization. The results obtained can serve as an analytical basis for the development of effective regional strategies aimed at increasing the competitiveness and long-term sustainability of agriculture in Kazakhstan.

Keywords: Agricultural Efficiency; Human Capital; Innovation; Digitalization; Government Support; Institutional Factors; Regional Development of Kazakhstan


References

[1] Lencucha, R., Pal, N.E., Appau, A., et al., 2020. Government Policy and Agricultural Production: A Scoping Review to Inform Research and Policy on Healthy Agricultural Commodities. Globalization and Health. 16, 11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-020-0542-2

[2] Pannell, D.J., Claassen, R., 2020. The Roles of Adoption and Behavior Change in Agricultural Policy. Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy. 42(1), 31–41. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/aepp.13009

[3] Guyomard, H., Détang-Dessendre, C., Dupraz, P., et al., 2023. How the Green Architecture of the 2023–2027 Common Agricultural Policy Could Have Been Greener. Ambio. 52, 1327–1338. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-023-01861-0

[4] Doukas, Y.E., Salvati, L., Vardopoulos, I., 2023. Unraveling the European Agricultural Policy Sustainable Development Trajectory. Land. 12(9), 1749. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/land12091749

[5] MacPherson, J., Voglhuber-Slavinsky, A., Olbrisch, M., et al., 2022. Future Agricultural Systems and the Role of Digitalization for Achieving Sustainability Goals: A Review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development. 42, 70. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-022-00792-6

[6] Myrzaliyev, B., Mustafayeva, B., Shinet, G., et al., 2023. Features of Strategic Planning in Agricultural Production in Kazakhstan. Reviews in Agricultural Science. 11, 1–19. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7831/ras.11.0_1

[7] Tsapova, O., Zhailaubayeva, S., Kendyukh, Y., et al., 2025. Industry Specifics and Problems of Digitalization in the Agro-Industrial Complex of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Journal of the Knowledge Economy. 16, 9492–9511. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13132-024-02283-3

[8] Taishykov, Z., Tolysbayeva, M., Zhumanazarov, K., et al., 2024. Management of Innovation Processes in Agriculture. World Development Perspectives. 33, 100566. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wdp.2024.100566

[9] Koulouri, A., Mouraviev, N., 2021. Kazakhstan’s Developmental Journey. Palgrave Macmillan Singapore: Singapore. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6899-2

[10] Mulungu, K., Kassie, M., Tschopp, M., 2025. The Role of Information and Communication Technologies-Based Extension in Agriculture: Application, Opportunities and Challenges. Information Technology for Development. 31(4), 1117–1146. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02681102.2025.2456232

[11] Khatri, A., Lallawmkimi, M.C., Rana, P., et al., 2024. Integration of ICT in Agricultural Extension Services: A Review. Journal of Experimental Agriculture International. 46(12), 394–410. DOI: https://doi.org/10.9734/jeai/2024/v46i123146

[12] Khan, R.P., Gupta, S., Daum, T., et al., 2025. Levelling the Field: A Review of the ICT Revolution and Agricultural Extension in the Global South. Journal of International Development. 37(1), 1–21. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jid.3949

[13] Parikoglou, I., Emvalomatis, G., Läpple, D., et al., 2024. The Contribution of Innovation to Farm-Level Productivity. Journal of Productivity Analysis. 62, 239–255. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11123-024-00728-0

[14] Daum, T., Scheiterle, L., Yameogo, V., et al., 2025. Moving Beyond the Productivity Paradigm: Agricultural Innovation Systems and Sustainable Transformation in Africa. Agricultural Systems. 229, 104445. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104445

[15] Ma, G., Li, M., Luo, Y., et al., 2023. Agri-Ecological Policy, Human Capital and Agricultural Green Technology Progress. Agriculture. 13(5), 941. Available from: https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jagris/v13y2023i5p941-d1132273.html

[16] Li, D., Ling, J., 2025. Agricultural Policy Finance and Rural Employment: A Perspective on County-Level Educational Resource Allocation. Cogent Food & Agriculture. 11(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/23311932.2025.2520967

[17] Saha, S., Alam, M.J., Abbasi, A.A., et al., 2025. Impact of Human Capital and Remittances on Agricultural Productivity in Bangladesh. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research. 22, 102073. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafr.2025.102073

[18] Wu, L., Hu, K., Lyulyov, O., et al., 2022. The Impact of Government Subsidies on Technological Innovation in Agribusiness: The Case for China. Sustainability. 14(21), 14003. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su142114003

[19] Czubak, W., Pawłowski, K.P., 2024. The Impact of Agricultural Investments on the Economic Efficiency of Production Factors: An Empirical Study of the Wielkopolska Voivodeship. Agriculture. 14(12), 2217. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14122217

[20] Zhang, S., Cai, R., Wang, S., 2025. Impact of Public Investment on Agricultural Productivity Growth: Evidence from China. Economic Analysis and Policy. 85, 1442–1455. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eap.2025.02.005

[21] Liu, H., Wang, J., Wei, P., 2025. Impact of Agricultural Export Duration on New Market Entry: Evidence from China. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 105(14), 7657–7669. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.70020

[22] Nowfal, S.H., Rani, N.M., Rajassekharan, D., et al., 2024. The Impact of Export-Oriented Agricultural Policies on Farm-Level Income, Production Efficiency, and Market Stability in the Context of Asia. Research on World Agricultural Economy. 6(1), 685–701. DOI: https://doi.org/10.36956/rwae.v6i1.1537

[23] Baltagi, B.H., 2021. Econometric Analysis of Panel Data, 6th ed. Springer Nature: London, UK. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53953-5

[24] Bureau of National Statistics of RK, 2025. Agency for Strategic planning and reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Available from: https://stat.gov.kz/ru/industries/business-statistics/stat-industrial-production/ (cited 4 June 2025). (in Russian)

[25] Taldau, 2025. Information–Analytical System of the Bureau of National Statistics of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Available from: https://taldau.stat.gov.kz/en/Search/SearchByKeyWord (cited 4 June 2025).

[26] Hsiao, C., 2003. Incomplete Panel Data. In: Analysis of Panel Data. Econometric Society Monographs. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK. pp. 268–290. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511754203.011

[27] Young, R., Johnson, D.R., 2015. Handling Missing Values in Longitudinal Panel Data With Multiple Imputation. Journal of Marriage and Family. 77(1), 277–294. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12144

[28] Kleeman, L., Semrau, F.O., 2025. Connecting the Unconnected? Social Ties and ICT Adoption Among Smallholder Farmers in Developing Countries. Technological Forecasting and Social Change. 213, 123985. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2025.123985

[29] Touri, M., 2024. Deconstructing the Role of ICTs in Agricultural Development Using the Diverse Economies Framework. Information Technology for Development. 30(4), 696–716. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02681102.2024.2332316

[30] Tleubayev, A., Bobojonov, I., Götz, L., 2022. Agricultural Policies and Technical Efficiency of Wheat Production in Kazakhstan and Russia: Evidence from a Stochastic Frontier Approach. Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics. 54(3), 407–421. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/aae.2022.13

[31] El Bakali, I., Brouziyne, Y., Ait El Mekki, A., et al., 2023. The Impact of Policies on the Diffusion of Agricultural Innovations: Systematic Review on Evaluation Approaches. Outlook on Agriculture. 53(1), 3–14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/00307270231215837

[32] Frangenheim, A., Schneider, M.L., Fischer, C., et al., 2025. Mission-Oriented Agrifood Innovation Systems in the Making: A Transdisciplinary Approach to Identify Context-Specific Drivers of Change. Sustainability Science. 20, 2265–2280. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-025-01719-2

[33] Gong, S., Jiang, L., Yu, Z., 2025. Can Digital Human Capital Promote Farmers’ Willingness to Engage in Green Production? Exploring the Role of Online Learning and Social Networks. Behavioral Sciences. 15(2), 227. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15020227

[34] He, J., Chen, S., Zong, C., 2025. Digital Input Decision-Making in Fresh Agricultural Supply Chains Under Government Subsidies. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. 9, 1602960. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1602960

[35] Baiyegunhi, L.J.S., 2024. Examining the Impact of Human Capital and Innovation on Farm Productivity in the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast, South Africa. Agrekon. 63(1–2), 51–64. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03031853.2024.2357072

[36] Toleuuly, A., Yessengeldin, B., Jumabaeva, S., et al., 2019. Contemporary Problems and Prospects of e-Commerce Development in Modern Conditions. Revista Espacios. 40(7), 24–29. Available from: https://www.revistaespacios.com/a19v40n07/a19v40n07p24.pdf

[37] Akpabio, E.S., Akeju, K.F., Omotoso, K.O., 2025. E-Agriculture and Food Security in Developing Countries: Beaming the Searchlight on Nigeria. Smart Agricultural Technology. 10, 100689. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atech.2024.100689

[38] Maniriho, A., 2024. Examining the Relationships Between ICT-Facilitated Input Market and Crop Productivity Among Small-Scale Farmers in Southern Rwanda. Cogent Social Sciences. 10(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2024.2423859

[39] Wang, D., Li, S., Toktarbek, S., et al., 2022. Research on the Coordination Between Agricultural Production and Environmental Protection in Kazakhstan Based on the Rationality of the Objective Weighting Method. Sustainability. 14(6), 3700. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su14063700

[40] Chandio, A.A., Alnafissa, M., Awan, A., et al., 2025. Developing Pathways for Modern and Sustainable Agriculture in Emerging Economies: Investigating the Impact of Information and Communication Technology Adoption on Food Security. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. 9, 1496295. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1496295

[41] Yessengeldina, A.S., Sitenko, D., Seitalinova, A., 2014. The Development of Social Infrastructure in Kazakhstan. Public Policy and Administration. 13(2), 222–231. DOI: https://doi.org/10.13165/VPA-14-13-2-03

Online ISSN: 2737-4785, Print ISSN: 2737-4777, Published by Nan Yang Academy of Sciences Pte. Ltd.