TOPIC: ARGUMENT170 - For the past five years, consumers in California have been willing to pay twice as much for oysters from the northeastern Atlantic Coast as for Gulf Coast oysters. This trend began shortly after harmful bacteria were found in a few raw Gulf Coast oysters. But scientists have now devised a process for killing the bacteria. Once consumers are made aware of the increased safety of Gulf Coast oysters, they are likely to be willing to pay as much for Gulf Coast as for northeastern Atlantic Coast oysters, and greater profits for Gulf Coast oyster producers will follow.
WORDS: 360 TIME: 00:45:00 DATE: 2007-07-31 22:27:51
At the first glance, the argument seems logic when a process for killing the bacteria has been devised, and Gulf Coast Oyster will sell better, and greater profits will follow. However, some alternatives which play significant roles in this case were not mentioned in the argument.
Whether consumers are willing to buy Gulf Coast oysters was not mentioned in the argument. The reputation of one product was built hardly, but can be damaged easily in common sense. Consumers have known that there has harmful bacteria in raw Gulf Coast oysters, some of consumers may be suspect the effect of the process which kills the bacteria, the others may do not like flavor which may be not the same as before the process was done. These alternatives all can cause that the decline number of selling Gulf Coast oysters.
Even if consumers are willing to buy Gulf Coast oysters, can Gulf Coast oysters maintain the same price as much as northeastern Atlantic Coast oysters? It is possible that the price of northeastern Atlantic Coast oysters rose to today's price for the reason that harmful bacteria were found in few raw Gulf Coast oysters, which caused that the supply had declined. If consumer begin to buy Gulf Coast oysters, the supply will raise, the price of both oysters will decline. So the profits for Gulf Coast oyster will abate as the decline of the price of oysters.
The other reasons which influence the price of the oysters were not given in the argument. It is possible that more oysters was brought in from other place, the price of oysters will decline. And the cost of the process for killing the bacteria was not given too, if it is high, even if the price does not decline, Gulf Coast producers can not get greater profits.
Consider the two main reasons including both the willingness of consumers and the anticipative decline of oysters' price, Gulf Coast oyster producers will not get greater profits. Only the number of consumers are willing to buy Gulf Coast oyster and the price of it were given, we can judge if the Gulf Coast oyster producers will get greater profits.作者: xmubit 时间: 2007-8-1 10:19:20