Breaking News-RTRS-UPDATE 2-India '09/10 edible oil imports to jump 46 pct-min

NEW DELHI, March 16 (Reuters) - India's edible oil imports are likely to rise 46.3 percent in the financial year ending March 31, a minister said, implying much higher purchases than estimated by a leading industry body.
Edible oil imports by India, the world's top buyer, have been rising steadily -- up about a fifth in the first 11 months of the fiscal year according to Solvent Extractors' Association of India -- with growing incomes boosting demand in a country of more than 1 billion people.
Higher imports by India are expected to support international prices, particularly of palm oil, which accounts for 80 percent of India's edible oil purchases.