In which of the following years is the ratio of demand for Fruits : Vegetables…

Concept: a ratio a : b is compared with a benchmark by reading it as the single number a / b. So the condition a : b < 1/3 means a / b < 1/3, and clearing the denominator turns it into the whole-number test 3a < b — the first quantity must be under one-third of the second. A ratio test therefore never needs the other rows of a table, only the two rows named in it.

Application: read only the Fruits row and the Vegetables row of the table, and test 3 x Fruits against Vegetables column by column.

1. 1990 : Fruits 12.5, Vegetables 56.0. Here 3 x 12.5 = 37.5 and 37.5 < 56.0, so 12.5 / 56.0 = 0.223 approximately, which sits under 1/3 = 0.333 approximately.

2. 2000 : Fruits 22.2, Vegetables 80.0. Here 3 x 22.2 = 66.6 and 66.6 < 80.0, so 22.2 / 80.0 = 0.278, again under 1/3.

3. 2010 : Fruits 43.5, Vegetables 112.1. Here 3 x 43.5 = 130.5 and 130.5 > 112.1, so 43.5 / 112.1 = 0.388 approximately, which is over 1/3.

4. 2020 : Fruits 82.1, Vegetables 170.2. Here 3 x 82.1 = 246.3 and 246.3 > 170.2, so 82.1 / 170.2 = 0.482 approximately, which is over 1/3.

Cross-check: laying the four columns side by side shows the pattern at a glance.

Fruit demand grows faster than vegetable demand across the projection, so the ratio rises steadily from 0.223 to 0.482; it crosses one-third once, between 2000 and 2010, and never comes back below it. Hence the two years that satisfy Fruits : Vegetables < 1/3 are 1990 and 2000.