Sri Lanka, Nov. 2 -- Sri Lanka is evolving plans to avoid any food shortage because of El Nino's climate impact, mainly in the countries which are source markets for imports, an official said.

Sri Lanka imports items such as dhal, onion, potatoes and sugar.

A spokesman for the Essential Commodities Importers' and Traders' Association told Daily Mirror that sugar supply is mainly from Brazil and dhal from Australia and Canada.

"We import a bulk of dhal from Australia. Besides, 20 per cent of cargo comes from Canada. We import whole lentils and split them in our plants in the country. We can well avert a shortage as a result. Besides, Brazil is the key supplier of sugar in the wake of an export ban by India," he said.

Imports have been...