Bayer targets higher healthcare margins in 2014 FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German chemicals and drugs group Bayer said its HealthCare and CropScience divisions would widen their margins and increase sales over the next three years. The HealthCare division aims to achieve sales of roughly 20 billion euros ($26.22 billion) in 2014, up from 17.2 billion euros last year, Germany's largest drugmaker said on Wednesday. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) would then reach at least 28 percent of sales, up from 27.4 percent in 2011. While its plastics division struggles, Bayer is pinning its hopes on new drug launches to lift earnings in coming years. For its plastics unit, called MaterialScience, it only said it eyed sales volume gains at a higher rate than global economic growth. Bayer's pesticides and plant biotech unit CropScience is now aiming for more than 8 billion euros in 2014 sales, up from 7.3 billion last year. The unit's underlying EBITDA margin would rise to about 24 percent from 22.8 percent last year, Bayer added. $1 = 0.7628 euros Reporting by Ludwig Burger