What action did the farming companies take to raise the price of the oranges?

What action did the farming companies take to raise the price of the oranges?

• A. Harvested and sold at high price
• B. Exported to foreign markets
• C. Traded for other goods
• D. Dumped carloads on the ground

Answer: (D)

The key idea here is how supply affects price. By dumping carloads of oranges on the ground, the farmers remove fruit from the market instead of selling it at the low prices that prevailed. With less oranges available and demand unchanged, scarcity pushes prices up. This kind of action—withholding or destroying supply to raise prices—fits what the question is asking. Other options describe actions that don’t specifically reduce the amount offered for sale in the market, so they wouldn’t reliably cause the same price increase. Dumping on the ground is the direct method of cutting supply to lift price.

The key idea here is how supply affects price. By dumping carloads of oranges on the ground, the farmers remove fruit from the market instead of selling it at the low prices that prevailed. With less oranges available and demand unchanged, scarcity pushes prices up. This kind of action—withholding or destroying supply to raise prices—fits what the question is asking.

Other options describe actions that don’t specifically reduce the amount offered for sale in the market, so they wouldn’t reliably cause the same price increase. Dumping on the ground is the direct method of cutting supply to lift price.