Vitamin A deficiency (Argument Essay GRE)

Argument

An international development organization, in response to a vitamin A deficiency among people in the impoverished nation of Tagus, has engineered a new breed of millet high in vitamin A. While seeds for this new type of millet cost more, farmers will be paid subsidies for farming the new variety of millet. Since millet is already a staple food in Tagus, people will readily adopt the new variety. To combat vitamin A deficiency, the government of Tagus should do everything it can to promote this new type of millet.

Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered to decide whether the recommendation is likely to have the predicted result. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation.

Please help me judge this response (Note: this is a GRE Argument Essay)

Essay

The author recommends the dissemination of a new variety of millet based on the assumption that this new version will reduce the vitamin A deficiency in the nation of Tagus. Stated as above, the argument is flawed in many ways. Primarily, it relies on the weak and unwarranted assumption that the new millet is an efficient way of mitigating vitamin A deficiency.

Firstly, the author fails to mention any evidence supporting the efficiency of the new type of millet in combating the deficiency. Purely stating that the new breed has a high vitamin A content does not prove its efficacy. To substantiate this assumption, tests and experiments must be conducted preceding the investment in promoting such a new and costly version. To further illustrate, the new millet should be tested for whether it provides a long lasting effect in a sufficient period of time.

Secondly, the author readily assumes that the nation of Tagus will readily adopt the new millet based on the fact that millet is a major part of their diet. However, this assumption lacks concrete foundation as there is no comparison between the newer and older versions of millet. To bolster this assumption, the author must state the degree of analogy between the two types in terms of taste, texture, and selling price.

Furthermore, the author fails to provide information regarding the root cause of vitamin A deficiency in the nation of Tagus. Inducing a source of high vitamin A into their diet will not necessarily form an efficient solution. The author must further investigate why the nation is suffering from such a deficiency. In the case where the nation is very poor, introducing a new product with a higher cost will be be an illogical solution to the problem.

In conclusion, the argument represented by the author is weakened by its abundant holes. The author must provide evidence regarding the efficiency and feasibility of the new millet in order to support his/her conclusion of promoting that product.