"Of course we're growing poppy this year," said the district chief. "The government, the foreigners - they promised us help if we stopped. But where is it?"

You hear similar things from many other people in Helmand province in Afghanistan - the number one opium poppy producing region in the number one opium producing country in the world.

If there's a central focus for the international and Afghan government campaign to stamp out the trade, it's here.

And here many believe drugs profits directly fund Taleban militants, for whom parts of Helmand remain a haven.

But after a small drop in Helmand's opium cultivation this year - according to UN figures - many fear a sharp increase next year.

If that happens, the British and US governments will take much of the flak. Together they have been leading international efforts to tackle the problem.

Hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of British and US taxpayers' money have been spent. But it's mostly been water off a duck's back to a business that is deeply rooted and underpins the still war-ravaged Afghan economy - especially in remote places like Helmand.