Major pepper growers

[soumyopriyosaha]

Partly because of bad weather, but also partly because some major pepper growers have switched to high-priced cocoa, world production of pepper has been running well below worldwide sales for three years. Pepper is consequently in relatively short supply. The price of pepper has soared in response: it now equals that of cocoa.

Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
(A) Pepper is a profitable crop only if it is grown on a large scale.
(B) World consumption of pepper has been unusually high for three years.
(C) World production of pepper will return to previous levels once normal weather returns.
(D) Surplus stocks of pepper have been reduced in the past three years.
(E) The profits that the growers of pepper have made in the past three years have been unprecedented.

OA: D

[thephoenix]

production low-----causes shortage------causes inc in price
B and D are close
now there can be two reasons either consumption is high or the avialbilty is low

as long as there are extra stock is available the shortage rose bcoz of high consumtion can be met

hence B can be eliminted

D it is bcoz if surplus stock is finished then the shortage can not be overcome and hence price will inc

[akahuja143]

I agree it should be D because reduction in surplus stock would result in shortage and therby increasing the price

[mmon]

IMO D

A) the passage doesn't tell us anything about the profitability of pepper
(B) Out of scope
(C) weather is only one of the reasons why the pepper production has gone down.
(D) Correct. The passage states that "Pepper is consequently in relatively short supply."
(E) out of scope. we don't know about profitability

[vijay_venky]

P1. World Production of pepper < World sales of pepper because
1. of bad weather
2. major pepper growers switched to cocoa
P2. Consequently pepper --> short supply
P3. So the Price of pepper soared --> equals cocoa (now).


Inference question is a must be true question. Now we have to find an answer that must be true.

A- Nothing in the argument confirms this.
B- Argument says that the supply has been very low but never said that the consumption is high.
C- Two reasons have been stated so it could not be necessarily true.
D- Argument says Production <Sales, so surplus should have been reduced, must be true.
E- Tempting, but we do not know whether it was unprecedented, as the awareness of the short supply could have made the profits inevitable.

D a complete winner.

[ajith]

Partly because of bad weather, but also partly because some major pepper growers have switched to high-priced cocoa, world production of pepper has been running well below worldwide sales for three years. Pepper is consequently in relatively short supply. The price of pepper has soared in response: it now equals that of cocoa.

Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
(A) Pepper is a profitable crop only if it is grown on a large scale.
(B) World consumption of pepper has been unusually high for three years.
(C) World production of pepper will return to previous levels once normal weather returns.
(D) Surplus stocks of pepper have been reduced in the past three years.
(E) The profits that the growers of pepper have made in the past three years have been unprecedented.

OA: D

A) Cannot be inferred from the passage
B) No. passage says it is a supply problem than a demand problem
C) Bad weather is one of the reasons why production is low - cannot be inferred
D) Passage says production has been consistently lower than consumption in past 3 years & so, surpluses would have diminished - can be inferred
E) There is no data given apart from prices soared - but there was bad weather also .. cannot be inferred

[joseph32]

I like the explanation on D