Jacinda Ardern's being told to base a senior Cabinet minister in Europe from next year to drum up trade.

Former special agricultural trade envoy Mike Petersen says not engaging with trade counterparts in person - due to Covid-19 - is problematic

He told Kate Hawkesby we need to be creative, in a travel-constrained world.

"Doing meetings by Zoom all sounds very nice, but nothing beats the ability to be able to relate one to one."

Peterson says having senior ministers in markets where we're trying to negotiate trade agreements is extremely valuable.

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