One could say that Ghulam Hussein is a model farmer. He says there isn't a single poppy to be seen on his land: "I didn’t plant any poppy seeds this year. The government promised to help us. That’s why I’m doing this."

Ghulam Hussein lives in the province of Balkh in north Afghanistan -- the region which surrounds the city of Masar-i-Sharif. This is exactly where the German army has set up camp and its Tornados. The provincial government is proud of its record in tackling the opium issue.

"We've managed to completely eradicate opium cultivation in Balkh this year," boasts Fahrad Munir, the governor's spokesman. "There were still some people who had small poppy fields but our teams were able to destroy them. We warned people in good time to stop cultivating their fields."

Poppy nipped in the bud

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has also confirmed that Balkh will most likely stay opium-free this year. The government has nipped opium cultivation in the bud, so to speak, by adopting a carrot-and-stick policy.

Christina Oguz from the UNODC in Kabul explains that "there is a very strong provincial government in Balkh province." The governor has "given the farmers hope of economic returns with other means" than poppy, such as wheat for example.

However, in other parts of the country opium is blossoming more than ever. Despite the central government's declaration of war on drugs, Afghanistan is the number one opium exporter.

Opium monopoly

Oguz says it's because the country has a monopoly. "Last year, we estimated that more than 90 percent of opium in the world was produced in this country. We don’t know what is going to happen this year, but it's likely to be the same."

The number of heroin addicts in Afghanistan itself is also rising. The more difficult the situation is, the better poppy plants seem to grow, with no apparent exception.

Even if some farmers in the southern provinces were tempted to stop cultivating poppy, the threat of the local drug Mafia's reactions and weapons keeps them in check.

Question of money

In the end, it's an economic question however, even if the government in the north has taken action, as the farmer, Sayfullah Khan, explains:

"The government has warned us not to grow opium. That’s why I chose wheat. But I hope I can earn enough money with this. Otherwise I will grow opium again next year."

Unless there are substantial subsidies, an Afghan farmer has a simple choice -- either he struggles to put food on the table with wheat or he makes a good living with opium.