Rohtak, Oct. 2 -- Stressing the need for sustainable agriculture, crop diversification, and water resource conservation, Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini on Thursday said the state must move towards producing more with less water and fewer resources amid changing climatic conditions. Addressing farmers, agricultural scientists and experts after inaugurating the two-day Rabi Agriculture Fair at Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (HAU), Hisar, Saini said sustainable cotton production, diversification and water conservation were essential for ensuring a secure agricultural system for future generations. Saini said cotton was an important cash crop in Haryana and a source of livelihood for lakhs of farming families in Sirsa, Fatehabad, Hisar and adjoining areas. Describing it as "white gold", he called for development of varieties and technologies capable of withstanding changing weather conditions and pest attacks. He said 257 cotton farmers' field schools had been organised and more than 7,000 farmers sensitised about pest management and low-cost cotton cultivation. The CM said crop diversification was necessary to protect the state's groundwater. "If there is water, there is agriculture, there is a village and there is life," he said, advocating greater cultivation of pulses, oilseeds and other less water-intensive crops instead of depending heavily on paddy and wheat. Saini also felicitated 45 progressive farmers, including 30 men and 15 women, for achievements in natural farming, crop diversification, crop residue management, mushroom cultivation, food processing, dairy farming, beekeeping and vermicomposting....