Competitiveness of the Agricultural Sector as a Factor in Improving Food Security in the Conditions of Globalization

This article is devoted toan analysis of agricultural sector of the country which is considered both a factor of ensuring competitiveness of national economy in general, and a factor of ensuring food security within the country. In the article devoted to an analysis of competitiveness of the country’s agriculture in the age of globalization, including conditions of regional integration into the Customs union (CU) on the basis of statistical data. Also the problems and prospects of Kazakhstan’s agricultural sector are studied, examples of factors impeding the competitiveness of the agro-industrial complex (AIC) of Kazakhstan and opportunities in this sector are also provided. In order to assess the competitiveness of the countryэs agriculture in the framework of regional integration, we have analyzed such factors as: the structure of mutual trade of the CU’s member-countries by main commodity groups (including separately for mutual trade of agricultural products) and Kazakhstan’s share in it; production and yield of crops and livestock products, their effectiveness (assessment of the level of agricultural output per 1 engaged in this sector); government support and subsidies for farmers, as well as absolute and relative values of investment volumes in Kazakhstan’s AIC. The study revealed that Kazakhstan’s share in the CU food market is insignificant, and also the low competitiveness of domestic agriculture, due to the constraints and problems limiting development of the agricultural sector. In order to improve the competitiveness of Kazakh products in the CU food market and increase its share problem-solving recommendations are provided in the article