Net income at German pharmaceutical and chemical giant Bayer declined to €2 billion ($2.16 billion) or €2.04 per share in the first quarter, down from €2.18 billion or €2.22 per share in the same quarter last year, the company reported on Tuesday. Bayer said core earnings per share from continuing operations for the first quarter decreased to €2.82 from last year’s €2.95, mainly due to the decline in earnings at its Crop Science Division. Group sales were €13.77 billion in the first quarter of 2024, showing a decline of 0.6% on a currency- and portfolio-adjusted basis and a decline of 4.3% on …