Critical Reasoning

can someone break this down for me?
OA A

OMA A

1. Pecan Growers (PG) --- get high price when the crop is scarce
2. In high yield years -- PG hold back (refrigerate ) hoping for high prices in future. They can refrigerate for one or two years
3. This year pecan crop was smallest in last 5 years (this means the actual harvest was small .. not that the growers are hiding)
4. Nonetheless((Now even when they have small harvest)) , It is quite possible that the portion will be held back
a. Since the last two years yield were record breaking (which the growers might have refrigerated and which they need to sell now as the crop can be refrigerated for a couple of years).. the growers will held back the new crop and refrigerate it

A is the correct answer.

B talks of quality of the pecan crop but that is not the issue, issue is of price being governed by demand and supply.

C again is not a correct completion to the para because if the crop has not been subject to fluctuation, that is not the reason to hold back the crop.

D is irrelevant talking of some of the crop growers.

E is going against the argument stem so cannot be an appropriate conclusion.

Hence, A!

This is a good question.

I think we need to notice the following gap on which this question hinges:
"pecans are abundant" ~ "high-yield years"

It is true that in "high-yield years", pecans should be abundant.
But what about the reversed direction? Is it NECESSARILY TRUE that in low-yield years pecans are not abundant?

No. Because the available pecans may come from the reserves, as agarwalva noted "They can refrigerate for one or two years".

Prices drop when pecans are ABUNDANT.
Thus, in high-yield years, growers often HOLD BACK part of their crop, hoping for higher prices in the future.
This year's crop was the smallest in five years.
It is nonetheless quite possible that a portion of this year's crop will be held back, since _________________.

Answer choice A: each of the last two years produced RECORD-BREAKING YIELDS.
In other words, despite the small yield this year, pecans are still ABUNDANT.
Thus, in order to prevent a drop in price, growers are likely to HOLD BACK part of their crop.

The correct answer is A.

Hi Mitch,

Can you please help me understand the structure of the stimulus. I know that the last sentence "portion of this year's crop will be held back" is the conclusion. But what role does "Thus, in high yield year, growers often hold back part of their crop...." play in the argument? I got confused with "Thus" in the starting and though it might be the conclusion.

Answer choice A - correctly represents the flow of thought. The reason for holding crops initally is the main pointer IMHO