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PR question - oats

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PR question - oats

by confuse mind » Tue Sep 04, 2012 6:49 pm
Although fresh oats and corn are the most nutritious foods for cattle, historically, cattle ranchers have minimized purchases of these grains in order to minimize costs due to spoilage. This year, however, fresh oats and corn have become the best-selling food for cattle -- a clear sign that cattle ranchers are putting nutrition ahead of concerns about costs due to spoilage.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument above?

1. No cattle ranchers have reported in surveys that they are attempting to purchase more nutritious fodder for their herds.

2. Because of agricultural innovations, fresh oats and corn spoil much less quickly than in previous years, while costs for such fodder have remained constant.

Confused between the above 2 options, the rest were clear eliminations.

OA - 2. Can someone please explain me why 1 is wrong. 1 clearly contradicts the reason provided in the stimulus - nutrition is the reason
Last edited by confuse mind on Thu Sep 06, 2012 7:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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by ankit0411 » Tue Sep 04, 2012 8:44 pm
confuse mind wrote:Although fresh oats and corn are the most nutritious foods for cattle, historically, cattle ranchers have minimized purchases of these grains in order to minimize costs due to spoilage. This year, however, fresh oats and corn have become the best-selling food for cattle -- a clear sign that cattle ranchers are putting nutrition ahead of concerns about costs due to spoilage.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument above?

No cattle ranchers have reported in surveys that they are attempting to purchase more nutritious fodder for their herds.

Because of agricultural innovations, fresh oats and corn spoil much less quickly than in previous years, while costs for such fodder have remained constant.

Confused between the above 2 options, the rest were clear eliminations.
OA - 2. Can someone please explain me why B is wrong. B clearly contradicts the reason provided in the stimulus - nutrition is the reason
The first statement really does nothing to talk about cost v/s nutrition . Like your eliminated other choices , by POE I would have struck off this option as well.

Thanks,
Ankit
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by saketlala » Thu Sep 06, 2012 1:16 am
Conclusion :cattle ranchers are putting nutrition ahead of concerns about costs due to spoilage.

Clearly, statement say "Nutrition ahead of Cost" and 2 weakens the same while other stmnt has no impact.
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by confuse mind » Thu Sep 06, 2012 7:39 pm
In 1, the cattle ranchers have NOT been reported to lay emphasis on nutrition and thus goes against the conclusion. No?
This is the source of confusion.

Is survey data irrelevant?
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by GMATGuruNY » Fri Sep 07, 2012 7:10 am
confuse mind wrote:In 1, the cattle ranchers have NOT been reported to lay emphasis on nutrition and thus goes against the conclusion. No?
This is the source of confusion.

Is survey data irrelevant?
No cattle ranchers IN SURVEYS is the equivalent of SOME cattle ranchers.
There is no indication HOW MANY cattle ranchers participated in the survey.
For all we know, only a handful of cattle ranchers participated -- too small a number to have any effect on the argument.
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