Finland is home to 5000 reindeer herders.

About 40 percent of Finnish reindeer meat is sold by the herders themselves, or small-scale meat packers. Finnish law allows those who raise reindeer to sell the meat directly to the consumer. In direct sales, the transaction must take place on the property of the herder. 

Reindeer meat is low in fat and high in protein. Reindeer have their calves in the late spring. 
Most of the reindeer that are slaughtered were born the same year, because the meat of a young reindeer is considered to be of higher quality. More mature individuals are left in the forest to multiply. 
   

The reindeer herding area of Finland comprises one third of the country's surface area. It includes all of the Province of Finnish Lapland, as well as the northern and eastern parts of Oulu Province. Finland has about 5,000 reindeer herders, who comprise 56 reindeer-owners' associations.

Reindeer, or rangifer tarandus tarandus are ruminants - the semi-domesticated version of a wild animal of the same species. 
In 2005 predators killed nearly 3,000 reindeer.
     

Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 17.10.2006