Read the passage below carefully and answer the question that follows:
In the highland estates of Kericho, Kenya, the widespread adoption of automated tea-harvesting machines has dramatically altered the agricultural landscape. For decades, thousands of seasonal pluckers migrated annually from surrounding counties, sustaining vibrant informal economies around the tea estates. Estate management argues that mechanical harvesting is indispensable for cutting labor costs, maintaining global price competitiveness, and minimizing losses from human fatigue during peak flushing seasons. However, local community advocacy groups point to the cascading socio-economic consequences: small-scale traders, housing providers, and informal transport operators have seen their livelihoods plummet as the seasonal workforce shrinks. Moreover, agricultural extension officers note a subtle decline in the premium quality grade of the harvested leaf, as mechanical blades indiscriminately shear coarse leaves and stems alongside delicate tender shoots. While the plantation conglomerates report higher net profit margins and increased operational efficiency, the surrounding townships face rising youth unemployment and dwindling municipal revenue, forcing regional planners to rethink the local economy's historical reliance on a single corporate monoculture.
Based on the passage, what can be logically inferred about the overall impact of mechanization on the Kericho tea industry ecosystem?
- While financial efficiency has improved for estate owners, mechanization has introduced broader socio-economic and quality challenges across the local region.Answer
- BThe plantation conglomerates will eventually abandon mechanical harvesting due to public pressure from local advocacy groups.
- CThe corporate tea estates experienced a net reduction in profits because of lower leaf quality and decreased yield.
- DSmall-scale traders and transport operators lost their livelihoods primarily because of increased municipal tax revenue demands.