Dhaka, Oct. 1 -- Coffee production and cultivation are expanding in Bangladesh, with farming spreading from the hills to the plains, but a range of problems are preventing the sector from fully benefiting from this growth.

The import of seedlings without quality checks, lack of irrigation, diseases and pest attacks, inadequate field monitoring and problems with processing are among the challenges facing coffee growers and producers.

A decade ago, Si Aung Khumi began cultivating coffee in Bandarban with seeds brought from India's Tripura. He later encouraged more than 100 farmers in the Chimbuk hills to take up coffee cultivation by providing them with free seeds and training.

Si Aung initially struggled with cultivation methods, irriga...