He said the international community needs to provide alternative livelihoods for farmers, but warned against expecting quick results.
"The problem has increased, and the remedy has to adjust," he told reporters recently.
Since the fall of the Taliban, the international community, led by the US and Britain, has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to combat the drugs trade.
There have been some successes. Nangahar Province, with the help of a strong governor and police chief, reduced opium output by 96 percent last year. Since March, anti-drug police units have raided 10 drug labs throughout the country, seizing 1,225kg of heroin and nearly 800kg of opium.
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