Read the passage given below carefully:
To alleviate acute seasonal groundwater stress and curtail heavy agricultural power subsidies, state distribution companies (discoms) have proposed replacing flat-rate agricultural electricity tariffs with time-of-day (ToD) solar-linked metering. Under this scheme, farmers receive heavily subsidized electricity exclusively during peak daylight hours when grid-tied solar generation is abundant, while drawing power during non-solar hours incurs a premium tariff. Advocates argue that this pricing structure will incentivize farmers to schedule heavy irrigation during peak solar production windows, thereby smoothing grid loads and reducing reliance on expensive thermal peaking plants. However, agricultural economists point out that most smallholder farmers operate shared, low-capacity tubewell pumps that require continuous low-voltage supply over extended multi-day intervals to adequately saturate heavy clay soils. Consequently, restricting subsidized power to rigid afternoon slots will compel smallholders to invest in high-capacity pumps or pay premium tariffs, neutralizing the intended financial benefits.
Based on the passage above, evaluate whether the following statement represents a necessary underlying assumption of the agricultural economists' argument:
"The argument assumes that smallholder farmers will not shift their production toward alternative crop varieties that require shorter, less continuous irrigation cycles."
Answer: Answer