CAT 1999 — VARC Question 12
Directions: Read the short passages given below and answer the question that follows it.
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?
Answer & solution
The potential of the productivity enhancing measures implemented up to now has been exhausted.
- B
The total company land under coffee has remained constant since 1969 when an estate in the Nilgiri Hills was acquired.
- C
The sensitivity of the crop to climatic factors makes predictions about production uncertain.
- D
The target-setting procedures in the company had been proved to be sound by the achievement of the 8,000 tonnes target.
(a) is the correct answer choice.
The picture that emerges from the passage is:
| Year |
Production (in tonnes) |
% increase over previous year |
| 1970-71 | 6,089 | - |
| - | - | - |
| 1997-98 | 5,830 | - |
| 1998-99 | 8,079 | 38.58% |
This shows that the average production has remained well below 6,000 tonnes in the previous years. The significant increase of over 2,000 tonnes in 1998–99 was achieved by using all possible productivity enhancing measures.
If all areas have been properly irrigated, if all unproductive coffee bushes have been replaced, if
intensive refilling and improved agricultural practices have been used — how much more can be done?
Obviously, the target of 10,000 tonnes (about 70% increase over average of less than 6000 tonnes) is unrealistic, as explained by option (a). Options (b) and (c) also indirectly contribute to making the target of 10,000 tonnes unrealistic. But (a) contributes MOST.
(d), on the other hand, supports the target as realistic, by placing faith in the soundness of the target-selling produces.