Farmers who do business with Gleadell can now manage their crop sales and seed and fertiliser purchases from any mobile device as effectively as they can from the farm office.

Xtralite, a mobile-optimised website launched this week, has been developed with farmers to ensure it meets the needs of today’s busy growers who conduct their business on the move, says Gleadell’s finance director, Mike Thompson.

The new easy-to-navigate website provides growers with instant access to their account information from any smartphone¬¬¬¬, tablet or desktop computer. Xtralite is based on Gleadell’s tried and tested Xtra system that helps hundreds of farmer customers analyse their marketing situation online at any time from the farm office.

While it retains all the key elements of that system, Xtralite includes some significant new developments, says Mr Thompson.

“It will allow farmers to manage their combinable crop sales, contracts and movements much more effectively when they are away from their desk. It will help them secure the best prices and ensure that the right grain ends up in the right place, while simplifying the paperwork.

“The seed and fertiliser section provides a similar service, ensuring farmers have quick and easy access to all their dealings with Gleadell.”

Target pricing is likely to be one of Xtralite’s key selling points, says Mr Thompson. This allows farmers to set a value for their grain, oilseeds or pulses in any month. Once the price is reached, farmers will be notified by text or email. Their farm trader will receive an alert to make a follow-up call.

“This feature will ensure farmers never miss the market,” he explains. “It is not a contract – they can strike a deal if they wish to but they can also set a new target price if they think the market might rise further.”

Another new development is grain management, which allows farmers to view stocks in each store and allocate individual contracts (including non-Gleadell ones) to particular stores. Grain management can be used with the grain samples feature to maximise the chances of hitting contract specification, while a dedicated movements page helps farmer keep track of actual and planned movements.

Other features include passport printing, where fields are filled in automatically for contracts allocated to stores, as well as payment advice and a record of historical contracts. Growers can now also access full analysis reports for export loads.

Growers with a Gleadell Xtra account can access the new Xtralite website at www.gleadellonline.co.uk using their existing username and password. New customers can register on the same site or email Xtralite@gleadell.co.uk to request access. Xtralite will also be available to use through the Gleadell app from 16 Sept.

“Xtralite marks a real advance in the ways farmers can manage their accounts,” says Mr Thompson. “It frees up office time that can potentially be spent more productively elsewhere on the farm.”