Cardamom farmers in Idukki are facing tough times as cold weather delays capsule maturity. Normally, cardamom capsules mature in 30 to 45 days, sometimes up to 70-80 days. But this season, it has stretched to 85-90 days, hitting harvest cycles and income. Regi Thomas, a farmer near Kattappana, said, "Normally, harvesting on our plantation is carried out every 45 to 50 days, or at most 60 days. This time, however, we began harvesting after a gap of 75 days, only to find that the capsules had not matured." He added that the yield quality also dropped sharply. Usually, 5 kg of green cardamom gives 1 kg dried. Now, it takes 7 kg green for 1 kg dried. Another planter, Stany Pothen, shared that he stopped harvesting due to many immature capsules. Labor shortages last October worsened the situation by delaying harvests to nearly 100 days. Dr. Muthusamy Murugan of Kerala Agricultural University explained that cold and cloudy weather in December and January blocked sunlight, slowing maturity. "Cold and cloudy conditions during December and January did not allow for adequate accumulation of heat units, leading to delayed maturity," he said. Farmers usually get six to seven harvests yearly at 40-50 day intervals. This year, they may lose one or two harvests, causing major financial loss. Similar delays were seen last year too. The rare cold is hitting the high-range paddy and cardamom crops hard in Idukki and Wayanad districts.