XAT 2017 — VARC Question 9
Read the following paragraph and answer the question that follows:
âââââââWorldwide, tomato is one of the most important crops. Because this crop can be adapted for cultivation in various environments ranging from tropical to alpine regions, its cultivation area is now expanding worldwide into not so productive regions. On the other hand, traditional cultivation areas, the most favourable for tomato cultivation with warm and dry climate, are contracting. Every year, traditional cultivation areas lose 2 million hectares (ha) of land to environmental factors such as salinity, drought, and soil erosion.
Which of the following is the correct inference based on the above passage?
Answer & solution
- A
In recent years, per hectare production of tomato has increased worldwide.
- B
In recent years, per hectare wastage of tomato has increased worldwide.
In recent years, per hectare production of tomato has decreased worldwide.
- D
In recent years, per hectare wastage of tomato has decreased worldwide.
- E
In recent years, per hectare production of tomato has remained the same worldwide.
The paragraph says 2 million hectares of world‘s current tomato cultivation areas are lost in the most favourable areas of cultivation. Therefore, favourable area under cultivation is reducing. Given that favourable areas have more production per hectare and extended areas have lesser production per hectare, the overall production per hectare will reduce though total global production may increase. Hence, Option 3 is the correct inference. Option 1 and 5 are not correct since going by the discussion above, increase in ̳per hectare production of tomato‘ or production remaining the same is not possible. Options 2 and 4 are wrong because there is no mention of ̳wastage of tomato‘ in the passage.
Hence, the correct answer is option 3.