Dusseldorf, Germany, May 10: (Bloomberg) Bayer Ag, Germany's second-biggest drug and chemical maker, said first-quarter profit fell 32 per cent, hurt by drops in health care and crop chemicals earnings after gains a year earlier from the sale of insecticides and real estate. Quarterly net income fell to 400 million euros (473 million US dollar) from 586 million euros, a year earlier. Bayer plans to divest less profitable chemical businesses early next year, in order to focus on higher margin health care, pesticides and plastics. The company expects earnings before interest, tax and some items to rise this year, even as sales decline, as it cuts some 900 million euros in costs. Excluding one-time items such as the year-ago gains from asset sales, operating profit fell to 827 million euros, from 841 million euros. Sales were little changed at 7.362 million euros. Sales volumes rose 10 per cent from a year earlier, the company said, though prices were down 1 per cent, and currency conversion led to a 6 per cent drop in sales from last year. Crop chemical operating profit fell 15 per cent to 379 million euros. Healthcare operating profit fell 43 per cent to 277 million euros, as sales of the Cipro Antibiotic dropped 16 per cent. Sales of Aspirin and Alka Seltzer Plus were lower as fewer people suffered colds in the US, the company said. Bureau Report