WEANER calf producers hoping for big start to the year at Hamilton, Wodonga and Casterton.

When 60,000 weaner calves go to market next month, producers will be about $50 million richer or poorer.

January is shaping to be a boost for vendors and a challenge for buyers.

Sales will kick off on January 4 at Hamilton, Casterton and Wodonga.

Hamilton will offer 17,500 calves, while Casterton has 11,000.

There will be 11,500 calves on offer at Wodonga.

Other centres' offerings range from 1000-5500 weaners.

In the first month of sales alone, nearly 60,000 weaners will hit the saleyards.

Elders Mortlake manager Alistair Drummond said vendors were feeling "very positive" despite a cold, hard winter in the Western District leaving calves lighter than normal.

"The calves don't carry the weight that they have in previous years, but quite a few buyers prefer cattle which are lighter, as they believe they can make more of a margin out of them," Mr Drummond said.

"The NSW buyers who come down here ... realise if the calves are lighter, they are simply younger and still have the quality there."

Rodwells Yea manager Adam Mountjoy said northern buyers were "yet to step in" to the weaner market, but believed they would make their presence felt when the true weaner sales kicked off next month.

Mr Mountjoy said he was expecting prices to lift this year.

"I think we will have buoyant times in the weaner sales, as long as the prime cattle market can hold," he said.

"Heavy steer prices need to stay where they are for producers to want to step back in."

But Corcoran Parker's director Trevor Parker, from Wodonga, reckons it would take a significant fall in the prime market to stop producers wanting to buy weaners.

"These blokes have paid $800 for a weaner and will sell it or have sold it at $1100-$1200 as a two-year-old," he said.

He predicted there would be "no weakening" from store values set through spring.

"There is the suggestion that some of the major lot feeders may not be as dominant at the sales this year," Mr Parker said.

He predicted heavier lines of calves, 400kg plus, would make 220c/kg liveweight, but lighter calves would "get dearer as they get lighter".

NSW buyers usually make a bee-line for the Wodonga centre because of freight advantages, and that most calves offered were weaned, Mr Parker said.

"They can have the calves home within six or eight hours and they don't get a setback - it makes a difference," he said.