MAPUTO, March 9 (Reuters) - Mozambique plans to increase its grain harvest by 13 percent in 2009/2010 from 2.6 million tonnes in 2008/09 and cut reliance on food imports, the country's agriculture minister told Reuters on Monday.

Minister for Agriculture Soares Nhaca said in an interview his sector was allocated 10 percent of the $4 billion 2009 state budget to help purchase and improve the quality of seeds, as well as to introduce irrigation and mechanized farming.

Agriculture -- traditionally the third biggest spending ministry after education and health -- received five percent of the 2008 budget, lifting it above education and health in a bid to boost food output and combat severe food shortages and soaring prices.

"Our key objective is to raise production of grain by 13 percent in 2009/2010 from this year's forecast output of 2.6 million tonnes," Nhaca said.

(Reporting by Charles Mangwiro, Editing by James Macharia and Peter Blackburn)

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