The scope of support measures continued to be limited, although activities were emerging to later become the principal components of agricultural support in Kazakhstan, such as preferential machinery leasing and a new system of agricultural and rural credit. Momentum was re-gained in restructuring of agricultural enterprises following financial rehabilitation initiated in 1995-97. Although the recession bottomed out, producers had a depreciated capital stock, lacked access to alternative market channels, faced limited financing options and operated in an unstable regulatory environment.