The winner of an inaugural national cropping competition has returned to Australia from New Zealand (NZ) to finish his Charles Sturt University (CSU) degree in 2010. Bachelor of Science (Agriculture) student Mr Sandy Middleton, from the School of Agriculture and Wine Sciences at CSU at Wagga Wagga, won the inaugural Australian University Crops Competition late last year. He was one of five top students to travel to NZ in January to learn about that country’s cropping industry. During the fully-funded four-day industry tour, the group met with local university representatives and visited the New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, a number of farms and a seed production company. Mr Middleton told Get Farming New Zealand, that the trip was a terrific opportunity to learn about crop production in a completely different environment. "The trip gave us an insight into the issues facing New Zealand's grain producers who farm in a cool environment where water is abundant," Mr Middleton said. The CSU student from the Kyeamba Valley near Wagga Wagga is completing his degree by distance education. He is currently working as an agronomist based in Holbrook.