Critical Reasoning

Because of a rare type of fungus that killed off many cacao trees in Brazil, there was an unusually meager harvest of cacao beans this year. The wholesale price of cocoa solids and cocoa butter has increased significantly and is unlikely to fall in the foreseeable future. As a result, the retail price of chocolate is certain to increase within six months.

The answer to which of the following questions would provide information relevant to evaluating the argument above?

(A) Has the price of cocoa solids and cocoa butter remained steady during other periods of poor )
harvest?

(B) Are consumers willing to spend more for chocolate?

(C) Have the prices of other ingredients in chocolate decreased recently?

(D) What percentage of cacao trees in Brazil were affected by the fungus?

(E) Can the fungus be eliminated within the next six months?

the answer is C because this is relevant to whether the retail price of chocolate will rise.

IMO C

IMO C - as retail chocolate price depends on price of other ingredients

How about ans E
Answer C says recently decrease....
Where as E says for next six months.....
And the conclusion is for next six months....

Can anyone could explain why (C) is correct? I also feel, E is more correct.

Conclusion of premise is "price of chocolate is certain to increase within six months". If farmers are able to eliminate the fungus, then there won't be any shortfall of cacao beans. So, chances of price rise will be decreased."

Prices of other ingredients is not discussed anywhere in the argument. Amount of price decrease as compared with price rise in cacao is not presented by ans(C). So, this cannot determine the overall cost of chocolate. If cacao is not available chocolate can not be made.

umeshpatil wrote:Can anyone could explain why (C) is correct? I also feel, E is more correct.

Conclusion of premise is "price of chocolate is certain to increase within six months". If farmers are able to eliminate the fungus, then there won't be any shortfall of cacao beans. So, chances of price rise will be decreased."

Prices of other ingredients is not discussed anywhere in the argument. Amount of price decrease as compared with price rise in cacao is not presented by ans(C). So, this cannot determine the overall cost of chocolate. If cacao is not available chocolate can not be made.

Hi,

there was an unusually meager harvest of cacao beans this year.
The wholesale price of cocoa solids and cocoa butter has increased significantly and is unlikely to fall in the foreseeable future

Conclusion: price of chocolate is certain to increase within six months

The premises and conclusion is marked above. Since the price of 1 component of chocolate is unlikely to fall, we might need to look at options that talk about other components of chocolate. If other component prices were to fall, then the conclusion would fail.

As to E, if the fungus was eliminated within the next 6 months, the harvest of cacao beans has already been unusually meager. So due to the shortfall, there is definitely going to be a rise in the price of chocolates.

Regards
Anup