KABUL, Afghanistan (UPI) -- Afghanistan's government has destroyed over 27,000 acres of poppy crops used to make opium, a government spokesman has said.

Muhammad Karim Rahimi said Tuesday at a news conference in Kabul that the process of poppy eradication is continuing effectively and that about 27,181 acres of poppies already have been destroyed, the Afghan Islamic Press reported.

President Hamid Karzai's government, having vowed to destroy the country's illegal drug trade and prevent Afghanistan from becoming a narco-state, has a goal to destroy 37,065 acres of poppies.

Rahimi appreciated the police and local authorities for their cooperation, but mentioned that the Afghan government would need more international assistance to make the campaign a complete success.

Roughly 10 percent of the Afghan population -- or more than 350,000 families -- depend on poppy production for their livelihood.