Economic analysis of the effectiveness of investments in the agricultural sector: key indicators and trends

Abstract

The agricultural sector plays a strategic role in regional economic development, food security, and export capacity. This study examines investment efficiency in agriculture through a comparative analysis of the East Kazakhstan Region (EKR) and the Netherlands, with particular attention to financial performance, technological modernization, institutional support, and sustainability. The study combines comparative and economic-statistical analysis, content analysis of agricultural policies and development programs, SWOT analysis, a purposive stakeholder survey of 120 participants from the agricultural sector of the EKR, and investment scenario modeling. Exploratory correlation and regression analyses were used to assess the relationship between investment dynamics and agrotechnology adoption. The findings indicate a positive association between investment activity and agricultural modernization in the EKR. Between 2019 and 2023, agrotechnology adoption increased from 55% to 75%, while the share of agricultural products in regional exports rose from 30% to 40%. The exploratory regression showed a strong positive association between annual changes in investment and agrotechnology adoption ( r = 0.983, 95% CI: 0.400–0.9997; p = 0.0168), although the result is based on only four annual change observations and should be interpreted cautiously. Among surveyed stakeholders, 78.3% identified insufficient investment, 65.0% infrastructure deterioration, and 58.3% limited innovation adoption as major sectoral constraints. The comparison with the Netherlands further demonstrates the importance of coordinated technological, financial, and institutional support. Investment efficiency in the EKR depends not only on the volume of capital but also on its allocation toward innovation, infrastructure, logistics, and environmentally sustainable technologies. The Dutch experience provides a useful functional benchmark, although its practices require selective adaptation to the institutional, territorial, and financial conditions of East Kazakhstan.