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Posts: 83
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
45%
(medium)
Question Stats:
67% (01:52) correct
33%
(01:57)
wrong
based on 2102
sessions
History
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Federal agricultural programs aimed at benefiting one group whose livelihood depends on farming often end up harming another such group.
Which of the following statements provides support for the claim above?
I. An effort to help feed-grain producers resulted in higher prices for their crops, but the higher prices decreased the profits of livestock producers.
II. In order to reduce crop surpluses and increase prices, growers of certain crops were paid to leave a portion of their land idle, but the reduction was not achieved because improvements in efficiency resulted in higher production on the land in use.
III. Many farm workers were put out of work when a program meant to raise the price of grain provided grain growers with an incentive to reduce production by giving them surplus grain from government reserves.
(A) I, but not II and not III
(B) II, but not I and not III
(C) I and III, but not II
(D) II and III, but not I
(E) I, II and III
Which of the following statements provides support for the claim above?
I. An effort to help feed-grain producers resulted in higher prices for their crops, but the higher prices decreased the profits of livestock producers.
II. In order to reduce crop surpluses and increase prices, growers of certain crops were paid to leave a portion of their land idle, but the reduction was not achieved because improvements in efficiency resulted in higher production on the land in use.
III. Many farm workers were put out of work when a program meant to raise the price of grain provided grain growers with an incentive to reduce production by giving them surplus grain from government reserves.
(A) I, but not II and not III
(B) II, but not I and not III
(C) I and III, but not II
(D) II and III, but not I
(E) I, II and III
Posts: 175
IMO...C...
Explanation:
Federal agricultural programs aimed at benefiting one group whose livelihood depends on farming often end up harming another such group.
Case 1:
An effort to help feed-grain producers resulted in higher prices for their crops, but the higher prices decreased the profits of livestock producers.
Group benefited = feed-grain producers
Group harmed = livestock producers
Case 2:
In order to reduce crop surpluses and increase prices, growers of certain crops were paid to leave a portion of their land idle, but the reduction was not achieved because improvements in efficiency resulted in higher production on the land in use.
Since the reduction in crop surplus didn't happen, ideally this case doesn't given any benefit of a group on the cost of another group's harm!
Case 3:
Many farm workers were put out of work when a program meant to raise the price of grain provided grain growers with an incentive to reduce production by giving them surplus grain from government reserves
Group benefited = Grain growers - They got the grains without actually growing them
Group harmed = Farm workers - No employment as no grains were actually grown.
hence case 1 and case 3 support the claim in the question.
Explanation:
Federal agricultural programs aimed at benefiting one group whose livelihood depends on farming often end up harming another such group.
Case 1:
An effort to help feed-grain producers resulted in higher prices for their crops, but the higher prices decreased the profits of livestock producers.
Group benefited = feed-grain producers
Group harmed = livestock producers
Case 2:
In order to reduce crop surpluses and increase prices, growers of certain crops were paid to leave a portion of their land idle, but the reduction was not achieved because improvements in efficiency resulted in higher production on the land in use.
Since the reduction in crop surplus didn't happen, ideally this case doesn't given any benefit of a group on the cost of another group's harm!
Case 3:
Many farm workers were put out of work when a program meant to raise the price of grain provided grain growers with an incentive to reduce production by giving them surplus grain from government reserves
Group benefited = Grain growers - They got the grains without actually growing them
Group harmed = Farm workers - No employment as no grains were actually grown.
hence case 1 and case 3 support the claim in the question.
General Discussion
Posts: 83
jeeteshsingh ...very good explanation
Posts: 33
III can't be right because even if people out of work is the group getting harmed, "government reservoir" is certainly NOT the "benefiting group whose livelihood depends on farming". So, I think A. Experts, please explain why or why not.
thanks in advance.
thanks in advance.
chesstitans
Joined: 12 Dec 2016
Last visit: 20 Nov 2019
Posts: 959
Location: United States
Schools: Stanford '19 Carroll '19 LBS '19
GMAT 1: 700 Q49 V33
GPA: 3.64
interesting question, but 2 things.
1/ this question is not hard.
2/ the style does not look like a gmat question.
1/ this question is not hard.
2/ the style does not look like a gmat question.
Posts: 1
Thank you for the detailed explanation
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Posted from my mobile device
Posts: 8
@Sajjad1994 could you please explain point III.
Posts: 16,392
Elevated_person
Statement (iii) supports the claim because it shows how a program meant to benefit grain growers (by providing surplus grain and reducing production) harmed farm workers (by causing job loss).
Azakura16
Joined: 17 May 2024
Last visit: 27 Dec 2025
Posts: 57
Location: United States (AR)
Schools: Booth '27 (I) LBS '26 (S) Said '27 (D)
GMAT Focus 1: 805 Q90 V90 DI90 
GPA: 3.5
Products:
I. An effort to help feed-grain producers resulted in higher prices for their crops, but the higher prices decreased the profits of livestock producers.
A. This helps feed-grain producers, but it harms livestock producers.
II. In order to reduce crop surpluses and increase prices, growers of certain crops were paid to leave a portion of their land idle, but the reduction was not achieved because improvements in efficiency resulted in higher production on the land in use.
A. This doesn't involve two groups. It's all about the same group, so it doesn't support the claim.
III. Many farm workers were put out of work when a program meant to raise the price of grain provided grain growers with an incentive to reduce production by giving them surplus grain from government reserves.
A. This helps grain growers, but harms farm workers.
I and III work, but II doesn't. Answer C.
A. This helps feed-grain producers, but it harms livestock producers.
II. In order to reduce crop surpluses and increase prices, growers of certain crops were paid to leave a portion of their land idle, but the reduction was not achieved because improvements in efficiency resulted in higher production on the land in use.
A. This doesn't involve two groups. It's all about the same group, so it doesn't support the claim.
III. Many farm workers were put out of work when a program meant to raise the price of grain provided grain growers with an incentive to reduce production by giving them surplus grain from government reserves.
A. This helps grain growers, but harms farm workers.
I and III work, but II doesn't. Answer C.
I see lot of people supporting 3rd point, but my issue with it is both farm workers and the people owning the land(grain growers) are part of the "people whose livelihood depends on farming". So in example 3, the group getting affected is the farming group only.
Hence I believe correct option is A. as question explicitly states "group whose livelihood depends on farming(the workers and the owners) often end up harming another such group(so such group)." in case of 3.
Hence I believe correct option is A. as question explicitly states "group whose livelihood depends on farming(the workers and the owners) often end up harming another such group(so such group)." in case of 3.
divineacclivity
here you are bringing your own assumptions to a third point, maybe grains provided by governments are of good quality which they can sell at higher price(if you have to assume than you have to assume in this direction also. how can you be so sure that reservoir is not benefitting, there should be some base to your argument). but i prefer not to overthink on the part which is not included in passage, if grain growers are getting benefitted in one or the other way you have to accept it, you don't fight with statements or options, so basically here grain growers are benefitted without doing any hard work. our concern is not how much they are getting benefitted, or why are they getting benefitted
plus its program, its not for lifetime.
and farm workers are harmed as you know
note: i am not using harsh tone, it might sound like that i am, but i am not, i am just replying as a frnd😉.
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