OG Verbal Review - Q16

[schumi_gmat]

Declining values for farm equipment and land, the collateral against which farmers borrow to get through the harvest season, is going to force many lenders to tighten or deny credit this spring

A...
b...
C...
D. which farmers use as collateral to borrow against to get through harvest season, are
E. the collateral against which farmers borrow to get through the harvest season, are.

I eliminate E because I thought the modifier Declining.....land, cannot modify Collateral

OD eliminates D as awkward.

Can anyone explain, how this is correct?

OA is E

[karmayogi]

Declining values for farm equipment and land, the collateral against which farmers borrow to get through the harvest season, is going to force many lenders to tighten or deny credit this spring

A...
b...
C...
D. which farmers use as collateral to borrow against to get through harvest season, are
E. the collateral against which farmers borrow to get through the harvest season, are.

I eliminate E because I thought the modifier Declining.....land, cannot modify Collateral

OD eliminates D as awkward.

Can anyone explain, how this is correct?

OA is E

"Declining ... land" is not qualifying collateral. Rather, it's other way round. "the collateral....season" is providing extra information about farm equipment and land. The sentence will make complete sense even when we remove "the collateral...season."

Declining values for farm equipment and land are going to force many lenders to tighten or deny credit this spring.