BEIJING -- Net profits of Chinese liquor giant Wuliangye Yibin Co Ltd dropped 27.79 percent to 2.62 billion yuan ($427.94 million) in the first quarter, the company said on Sunday.

This is the first Jan.-March decline in net profits since 2003.

Business revenues of the market leader totalled 6.72 billion yuan in the first quarter, down 22.54 percent year on year.

On April 17, the company reported a 19.75-percent decrease in net profits last year, the first time since 2005. The company said the slower profit growth came as China's liquor industry undergoes a restructuring period following wild growth in the past decade.

The ongoing nationwide campaign to curb extravagance has also dealt a blow to high-end liquor brands such as Wuliangye.

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