As input price increases outpaced output price rises and farmers had limited freedom to change their behaviour, many farms simply went into debt, but the government continued to provide credits (Gray, 2000). By 1996, three-quarters of agricultural enterprises were unprofitable and many workers were paid in-kind (e.g. engineers received farm equipment in lieu of wages). Between 1998 and 2003, reforms of farm ownership were in part targeted at writing off debts and allowing farms to re-start with a clean sheet.