The NSW Government has removed the cap on the number of professional companies allowed to harvest kangaroos in response to lobbying by the industry and farmers claiming animals are dying from drought.

In 2016, the commercial harvesting quota for red and grey kangaroos was 2.5 million but only 350,000 were harvested because of restrictions on the number of licenses. With the removal of the cap, the number of kangaroos harvested will skyrocket.

The Minister for Primary Industries, Niall Blair said on Thursday morning that lifting the cap was one measure "that allows us to manage kangaroo populations in a humane and sustainable way, reducing the burden on landholders, the environment and primary production”.

The commercial harvesting quota for red and grey kangaroos was 2.5 million but only 350,000 were harvested. Credit:Dallas Kilponen

The existing cap allows only 11 companies to harvest kangaroos. The government already had interest from more than 18 companies - some near Broken Hill where numbers are very high - which are keen to enter the market and start processing kangaroos.