ABSTRACT

Agricultural e-commerce can improve market access, price transparency, and commercial opportunities for rural producers, but its development requires more than basic internet connectivity. This study assesses regional readiness for agricultural e-commerce in Kazakhstan and proposes a policy mechanism based on the DalaMart platform. The empirical analysis uses an unbalanced panel of 95 observations covering 17 regions from 2018 to 2024. A fixed-effects model examines the relationship between rural internet penetration and digital literacy, fixed internet subscriptions, rural telephone use, road quality, and a national time trend. A composite digital-agricultural readiness index is applied only to compare regional conditions and should not be interpreted as a direct indicator of online sales. The results show considerable territorial inequality. The average readiness index is 0.714 in leading regions, compared with 0.424 in lagging regions. Digital literacy is positively associated with rural internet penetration (β = 0.214; p < 0.05), while the national time trend is also positive and highly significant (β = 2.774; p < 0.001). Infrastructure variables are not statistically significant within regions during the observed period. This finding is interpreted cautiously because regional fixed effects absorb persistent differences, while infrastructure indicators change only gradually. DalaMart is presented as a policy design rather than an empirically validated impact model. The proposed mechanism combines connectivity, practical producer training, verified marketplace transactions, logistics, digital payments, product traceability, and data-driven services. The study concludes that agricultural e-commerce policies should evaluate completed transactions, delivery performance, producer margins, and repeat demand rather than relying only on platform registrations or connectivity indicators.