# PLAS explained: how the Proactive Land Acquisition Strategy buys farms

By Landmatters. Published 2026-05-20.

PLAS, the Proactive Land Acquisition Strategy, is the DALRRD programme under which the state buys productive farms outright and leases them to selected emerging farmers, who may later purchase. For a seller it is a straightforward willing-seller sale at market value: the state is the buyer, its valuation sets the price band, and the district office runs the approval. PLAS is the main route for farms without a land claim.

## What PLAS is for

PLAS exists to put productive land in the hands of emerging farmers without the delays of grant-funded purchases. The state buys the farm, holds title, and leases it to a beneficiary with support from the district office and, often, a commodity partner such as a mill or a dairy processor.

## Which farms PLAS buys

Productive, water-secure farms that a beneficiary can operate from day one: cane farms with mill supply, dairies with a milk contract, fenced grazing with water, timber with permits. Farms near existing beneficiary communities or agri-hubs are preferred because support is easier to deliver.

## The seller's experience

You sign a mandate, we compile the file and submit it, the state values the farm, and an offer letter follows committee approval. You can accept, decline, or counter with evidence. The state appoints conveyancers and pays on registration.

## Timelines

PLAS sales in our files ran 12 to 30 months. The district office's valuation queue and the provincial committee's sitting dates drive most of the variation.

## Common misunderstandings

PLAS does not pay above market value, does not buy movables unless separately agreed, and does not commit to a timeline in writing. We say this at the first call so expectations are right.

Source: https://srv1138707.hstgr.cloud/guides/plas-explained