Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of state policies supporting beef cattle farming in Kazakhstan by analysing the interaction between subsidies and concessional lending at a regional level. A combination of institutional, comparative and empirical-statistical analysis was employed to interpret the dynamics of production indicators, investment activity and budgetary parameters over time. It was found that the institutional configuration of state support has become multi-level, with a formal division of powers between central and regional authorities. The financing structure in the Abai region was found to be characterised by the predominance of financial instruments (KZT 7.8 billion) over direct forms of support (KZT 4.8 billion), indicating a policy shift towards stimulating investment activity. An empirical analysis of livestock numbers and production structure revealed a preference for an extensive development model, evidenced by the quicker growth in livestock numbers (with cattle numbers rising by 2.4%) compared to output growth (with meat production rising by 2.7%). However, access to credit remains uneven as collateral requirements limit the participation of small producers in financing programmes. This contributes to the strengthening of structural differentiation within the sector: agricultural holdings account for 55% of meat production, while households account for only 15%. Generalising the obtained results showed that state policy effectiveness is determined not only by financing volume, but also by support instrument coherence, institutional integration level, and accessibility to different producer categories. The practical significance of the results lies in their potential use in revising access criteria for small producers in subsidy programmes, including lowering project capacity requirements, and in adjusting budget planning in the agricultural sector by synchronising payments with production cycles
Keywords
References
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