Critical Reasoning: Coffee Crop Targets

CAT 1999 Slot 1 · VARC · Medium · Verbal Ability

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The company's coffee crop for 1998-99 totalled 8,079 tonnes, an all-time record. The increase over the previous year's production of 5,830 tonnes was 38.58 per cent. The previous highest crop was 6,089 tonnes in 1970-71. The company had fixed a target of 8,000 tonnes to be realized by the year 2000-01, and this has been achieved two years earlier, thanks to the emphasis laid on the key areas of irrigation, replacement of unproductive coffee bushes, intensive refilling and improved agricultural practices. It is now our endeavour to reach the target of 10,000 tonnes in 2001-02.

Which one of the following would contribute most to making the target of 10,000 tonnes in 2001-02 unrealistic?

  1. A.

    The potential of the productivity enhancing measures implemented up to now has been exhausted.

  2. B.

    The total company land under coffee has remained constant since 1969 when an estate in the Nilgiri Hills was acquired.

  3. C.

    The sensitivity of the crop to climatic factors makes predictions about production uncertain.

  4. D.

    The target-setting procedures in the company had been proved to be sound by the achievement of the 8,000 tonnes target.

Answer

A

Explanation

Since the recent boost was due to productivity-enhancing measures, if their potential is exhausted, further massive increases become unrealistic.

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