Working part-time in a local butchery as a teenager has given Charles Sturt University (CSU) student Mr Macky Lawrence, from Kempsey, a better appreciation than most of what makes a good cut of meat.This knowledge came to the fore at the recent Australian Intercollegiate Meat Judging Competition at CSU in Wagga Wagga.The Bachelor of Agricultural Science student was selected in the national training squad and has the chance to be selected in the Australian team to tour the United States next year.More than 130 students from ten Australian universities, along with teams from the United States, Japan, South Korea and Indonesia took part in the ICMJ competition held at CSU in Wagga Wagga.The annual event is held by the Intercollegiate Meat Judging Association to highlight the diverse range of careers in the meat industry."I met so many different people taking part in the competition," said Mr Lawrence. "Other university students who are studying similar degrees to me, alongside industry professionals who will provide great links and networks in the years to come."Students are required to judge beef, lamb and pork carcasses and primal cuts, along with identifying a range of beef primals and beef, lamb and pork retail cuts.Mr Lawrence was part of the 15 member CSU meat judging team made up of students from the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences and School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences, which trained for three months leading up to the competition."A big thank you to my coaches who got up at ridiculous hours in the morning for training sessions in the lecture rooms or at the abattoir," he said. "I highly recommend the competition for people in considering it in future years."Mr Lawrence said it might sound like an unusual extra-curricular activity but meat judging is a great way to learn more about an industry he's passionate about."Living on a family owned beef cattle property in the Macleay Valley I wanted to know more about what happens to our product from paddock to plate," Mr Lawrence said."Taking part in this program has shown me the end result we should be aiming for to meet consumer demand.""It's also shown me what we as producers can do to help processors deliver what consumers want, that is, a consistent premium product".The national training for the Australian squad will be held in Brisbane on Saturday 20 August to Wednesday 24 August.