Afghanistan has been ranked on top of the list with largest producer of opium in the world.According to US,80% of world opium is produced in Afghanistan.These statistics were revealed by a Top official of US state department handling narcotics problem in Afghanistan.

Since arrival of US in 2001, opium production has been on rise.Facts suggest that more opium poppy crops have been cultivated in last four years(2004-07) than in any one year during Taliban regime. Opium crops have been major source of income for many of farmers. Taliban are encouraging people to cultivate opium crops to get money for their activities.

According to UN world drug report saying,Afghan opium fuels a global trade that generates more than $60 billion that goes to pocket of drug traffickers, corrupt officials,insurgent group and mafia groups. In 2013, though steps were taken to stop opium production in Afghanistan but it all went in vain,in fact production is on rise in different areas of Afghanistan especially Helmand and Kandahar areas.

Opium are mostly used in heroine production that are smuggled to neighbor countries from Afghanistan to Iran by using different routes. Herat has border with Iran and Faizabad district in Badakhshan province have border with Pakistan, Tajikistan and China are used to smuggle heroine to these countries. Corrupt officials are helping drug traffickers to smuggle it to other countries and earn illegal money.

Government of Afghanistan and international community has taken different measures to stop or minimize opium production but it has proved to be helpful.In order to lower production, local farmers should have been awarded with alternative livelihoods and jobs so that they start cultivating other crops that can generate income for them.