According to the latest data from the United Nations' Office on Drugs and Crime, Afghan farmers grew a record 209,000 hectares of opium poppy in 2013. Even worse, these figures are projected to climb as security deteriorates in rural Afghanistan and eradication efforts lose steam. This information calls into question the efficacy of the US$ 7.6 billion counter-narcotics effort aimed at curbing the illicit trade. Afghanistan's opium poppy production was valued at US $3 billion in 2013 - a 50 per cent increase from the previous year - and Afghanistan continues to produce nearly 90 per cent of the world's supply. In past years opium poppy cultivation was met by a coordinated response from the US government and coalition partners. This led to a temporary decline in levels of opium production. Afghan farmers are being encouraged and helped by Christians to grow pomegranate crops instead for the western market.