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Difficulty: MediumInferential Comprehension and Deduction

Read the passage below carefully and answer the question that follows:

For generations, agrarian women across the Maradi region of southern Niger have preserved indigenous pearl millet varieties through communal seed-saving networks known as *goba*. Rather than storing seeds in modern temperature-controlled silos, these farmers seal selected panicles in traditional clay granaries lined with neem leaves, which naturally repel insect pests. Recent agricultural development initiatives in the region have promoted high-yielding, genetically uniform hybrid millet seeds, promising short-term harvest surges. While some younger farmers have adopted the commercial hybrids, elder women in the cooperatives continue to safeguard their ancestral varieties. They observe that although the hybrid crops perform exceptionally well during years of steady rainfall, they collapse under the prolonged droughts that periodically sweep the Sahel. The indigenous strains, though yielding lower baseline harvests, demonstrate remarkable resilience against climate volatility. Furthermore, the seed-saving network operates entirely on non-monetary reciprocity, enabling resource-poor households to secure planting material without incurring debt. Consequently, despite aggressive marketing from commercial seed distributors, the *goba* system remains vital to community survival.

What can be inferred from the passage regarding the elder women's persistence with the *goba* system?

  1. They prioritize long-term household risk management and financial independence over maximum short-term yield.Answer
  2. B
    They refuse commercial seeds primarily because neem leaves provide superior insect protection compared to synthetic pesticides.
  3. C
    They believe that commercial hybrid seeds consistently fail to produce crops regardless of weather conditions.
  4. D
    They seek to promote clay granary construction as the principal agricultural practice across the Sahel.

Answer

The elder women prioritize long-term household risk management and financial independence over maximum short-term yield.
The correct answer is supported by synthesizing two key points in the text: indigenous seeds safeguard against crop failure during Sahelian droughts, and non-monetary seed sharing protects poor households from debt. Together, these points show that the elder women value long-term stability and economic self-reliance over short-term harvest increases.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify key textual evidence regarding the elder women's motivation.
The text states indigenous seeds resist drought collapse (unlike hybrids) and the exchange network avoids household debt.
Inferential comprehension requires synthesizing separate facts from the passage to deduce unstated underlying motivations.
2
Synthesize the implications of environmental resilience and non-monetary exchange.
Combining climate resilience with debt prevention indicates a strategy focused on stability and economic self-sufficiency.
Choosing lower baseline yields that survive crisis over high yields that collapse in drought reflects risk management.
3
Evaluate the choices against the synthesized deduction.
The option emphasizing long-term risk management and financial independence accurately reflects this logical synthesis.
It captures both the ecological and socio-economic deductions supported directly by the text.

Key Concept

Inferential Comprehension and Deduction
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Topics

Inferential Comprehension and Deduction

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