Sande Ranch, Chikwawa, Malawi

Sande Ranch covers a total area of 700 hectares, with 450 hectares dedicated to irrigated sugarcane, and the remaining land used for protected forests. The irrigation system includes two pump stations—one lift pump on the Shire River intake and a booster pump in the middle of the ranch—that supply water through underground pipelines to nine different center pivots.

Developed within a highly challenging floodplain environment, the farm demonstrates Agricane’s practical expertise in bulk water supply, irrigation engineering, drainage management, and operational agriculture. The project required coordinating large-scale land preparation, irrigation infrastructure installation, and long-term water management systems that operate efficiently under variable seasonal and floodplain conditions.

Sande Farm is part of Agricane’s broader commercial agricultural operations in the Lower Shire Valley, supporting large-scale sugarcane production and offering employment and agricultural training opportunities for nearby communities. Through Agricane's Innovation Hub, Sande Ranch also serves as a practical demonstration site for crop testing, irrigation technologies, drainage systems, mechanized farming methods, and management strategies that can be duplicated across both commercial estates and smallholder farms.

Combining engineering expertise with practical agricultural management experience, Sande Ranch demonstrates Agricane’s ability to deliver feasible, commercially viable, and sustainable farming systems tailored to African conditions, from initial feasibility and design through to implementation, operational management, and long-term support.