WaterFlowsUp wrote:
Near Chicago a newly built hydroponic spinach
“factory,” a completely controlled environment for
growing spinach, produces on 1 acre of fl oor space
what it takes 100 acres of fi elds to produce.
Expenses, especially for electricity, are high, however,
and the spinach produced costs about four times as
much as washed California fi eld spinach, the spinach
commonly sold throughout the United States.
Which of the following, if true, best supports a
projection that the spinach-growing facility near
Chicago will be profi table?
(A) Once the operators of the facility are
experienced, they will be able to cut operating
expenses by about 25 percent.
(B) There is virtually no scope for any further
reduction in the cost per pound for California
field spinach.
(C) Unlike washed fi eld spinach, the hydroponically
grown spinach is untainted by any pesticides or
herbicides and thus will sell at exceptionally high
prices to such customers as health food
restaurants.
(D) Since spinach is a crop that ships relatively well,
the market for the hydroponically grown spinach
is no more limited to the Chicago area than the
market for California fi eld spinach is to
California.
(E) A second hydroponic facility is being built in
Canada, taking advantage of inexpensive
electricity and high vegetable prices.
We need to explain how spinach-growing facility near Chicago could be profitable. Note that the argument tells us that the production of factory spinach costs 4 times as much as field spinach. Say field spinach costs $1 per pack to produce and factory spinach costs $4 per pack to produce. To be profitable factory spinach will need to be sold at $5 per pack but field spinach can be easily sold at $1.50 per pack. So it seems that no one will buy the factory spinach because it will be way too expensive relative to the field spinach.
Also note that productivity per acre has no role to play here. We have been given that factory spinach production costs 4 time more. So it includes the cost of land and resources. When you sum it all up, you see that cost per packet for factory spinach is 4 times as much.
Let's look at the options now. We need one which can tell us why people may be willing to buy the much more expensive factory spinach.
(A) Once the operators of the facility are
experienced, they will be able to cut operating
expenses by about 25 percent.
A 25% cut and that too only in operating costs (not in the fixed costs) will have no meaningful effect. The cost of production might go down to $3.5 per pack. We will still need to sell it at a much higher cost that field spinach.
(B) There is virtually no scope for any further
reduction in the cost per pound for California
field spinach.
Out of scope. We don't even know if there is any scope of cost reduction in factory spinach. And even if there is, we don't know how much. Also scope of reduction and actual reduction are very different things.
(C) Unlike washed fi eld spinach, the hydroponically
grown spinach is untainted by any pesticides or
herbicides and thus will sell at exceptionally high
prices to such customers as health food
restaurants.
Now here is a reason why people may buy the $5 per pack spinach. This may mean that the factory may be profitable after all.
(D) Since spinach is a crop that ships relatively well,
the market for the hydroponically grown spinach
is no more limited to the Chicago area than the
market for California fi eld spinach is to
California.
The range of the market is not important. We can put the spinach in stores all across the world; the point is will people buy it?
(E) A second hydroponic facility is being built in
Canada, taking advantage of inexpensive
electricity and high vegetable prices.
Out of scope. We are worried about this factory only.
Answer (C)