Australia's kangaroo meat industry has been dealt a huge blow, with an import ban coming into effect in Russia today.

Australian rural lobbyists say the impact on both regional communities and the environment could be devastating.

Russia has been Australia's biggest kangaroo meat export market, taking about 70 per cent of what is produced.

But the Russian government authority that supervises imports has banned all roo meat, citing the detection of bacteria in a number of shipments.

Brent Finlay from rural lobby organisation AgForce says the ban will see kangaroo numbers explode, damaging the environment.

He also says it will hit communities that rely on the $270 million generated annually by the roo meat exports.

"We need this exports income to keep young Australians in jobs," he said.

Mr Finlay says there are concerns politics is mixed up in the ban, but a spokesman for the Russian authority has dismissed that.