Halal meat demand grows across state's west

A Dubbo based company that processes sheep meat says there is a demand to cater for the growing Muslim population across the state's west.

Fletcher International was set up in 1973, and is now one of Australia's largest suppliers of halal sheep and lamb meat, exporting to countries across the Middle East, Europe and Asia.

Marketer Graham Lyons says the halal industry is a growing market domestically and internationally.

He says the company is expanding it's halal meat distribution in Dubbo.

"We do that also, Dubbo's Muslim population has grown, we have a number of people working with us and also a lot of professionals move to Dubbo and there is a demand for halal slaughtered meat in Dubbo," he said.

Mr Lyons says the halal industry is worth over a billion dollars per year around the world.

He says it is opening up a large market for Australian businesses. 

"Over the past year ten years the halal market in Australia has grown, our understand is that more then 700,000 Muslims in the Australian community now and there has been large markets created in Melbourne and Sydney," he said.

"A lot of the Australian meat industry has based their sales and production on halal slaughter."