Question

Difficulty: EasyInferential Comprehension and Deduction

Read the passage below carefully:

In Ogun State, cassava processors traditionally discarded tonnes of peel waste daily, allowing it to ferment in open heaps that polluted surrounding groundwater. However, the introduction of high-yield mechanical dewatering technology has converted these environmental hazards into high-value animal feed. By rapidly drying the peeled waste within hours of harvesting, local micro-enterprises now produce energy-rich livestock feed pellets. While initial capital expenditure on solar-powered rotary dryers was high, cooperative savings groups enabled smallholders to pool resources and purchase the machinery collectively. Consequently, participating farmers have eliminated waste-disposal fines and established a secondary income stream. Despite these advances, full-scale industrial adoption across the region remains constrained primarily by inadequate rural road networks, which delay the transport of fresh cassava peels to processing hubs before spoilage begins.

Based on the passage, evaluate whether the following statement is True or False:
"The main factor currently hindering the widespread expansion of cassava peel processing is the financial burden of purchasing drying machinery."

Answer: Answer

Answer

False. The passage shows that equipment costs were managed through cooperative savings groups, while poor road infrastructure is the actual ongoing constraint on expansion.
The statement is false because the text establishes that initial equipment costs were successfully mitigated by cooperative savings groups. The ongoing constraint preventing full-scale industrial adoption is transport delays caused by inadequate rural road networks.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify what the passage states regarding the high cost of machinery.
The text explains that although initial capital costs were high, cooperative savings groups enabled smallholders to pool resources and purchase machinery collectively.
This establishes that machinery cost was an initial hurdle that farmers successfully bypassed.
2
Identify the primary constraint preventing widespread adoption.
The passage explicitly notes that expansion remains constrained primarily by inadequate rural road networks delaying transportation.
Differentiating between a solved initial issue and the current operational bottleneck clarifies the true barrier.
3
Evaluate the statement against textual evidence.
Since road infrastructure—not machinery cost—is the main factor hindering expansion, the statement is False.
Comparing the statement's assertion with the text confirms its inaccuracy.

Key Concept

Distinguishing resolved preliminary obstacles from active operational constraints through textual deduction.
Rate this question