	monsanto mtc says debt was cut in mondanto co said it has paid off two thirds of the debt from its billion dlr uisition of g d searle and co by the end of this lowered the company s debt to capitalization ratio from pct at the end of to pct it said the company also said that chemical sales accounted for pct of its sales in down from pct in this underscores its strategy of shifting away from low profit commodity chemicals in mature markets into higher value chemical businesses in high growth areas it said reuter 
