The Impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Bank Credit on Agricultural Performance in Uzbekistan: An Econometric Analysis

This study examines the dynamic effects of information and communication technology (ICT) penetration and bank credit on agricultural performance in rural Uzbekistan using an autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model. Based on data from the World Bank and the State Statistics Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan for the period 2000-2022, this study examines the important role of ICT and financial resources in improving agricultural productivity. Descriptive statistics show moderate variability in agricultural performance, with strong positive correlations between agricultural output and variables such as education, internet access, and mobile phone penetration. Unit root tests confirm the stationarity of all variables after first differencing, confirming the application of the ARDL model. The results of the paired test indicate a significant long-run equilibrium relationship between the variables under study. The short-run results of the ARDL model show that changes in bank credit have a significant impact on agricultural performance, with a robust adjustment mechanism to correct deviations from the long-run equilibrium. The long run results show that while ICT variables do not significantly affect agricultural performance, bank credit has a negative effect on it and education has a strong positive effect.