That left nine farmers who now call themselves the Ncera Progressive Farmers Cooperative. When the farmers first settled on the farms, they were promised 3-year leases by the end of the PTOs with the intention to purchase at the end of the lease. This according to the DDG, is the Department's policy on the disposal of state land. The process was delayed and their PTOs have since expired without them having acquired leases. Whilst settled on the farms, the farmers invested infrastructure and production capital on the farms, using their own funds, as loans were not granted to persons without legal entitlement to the land. These monies were invested with the understanding that they will receive rent-to-buy leases at a later stage. To date, the farmers have not received any official documentation from the former or current Ministry of Agriculture and Land Affairs or Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries - neither renewed PTOs nor leases that give them some form of entitlement to the farms.