During the buying-in period fixed in Article 4(1) of Regulation (EC) No 3072/95, any holder of a lot of at least 20 tonnes of paddy rice harvested in the Community shall be entitled to offer such rice to the intervention agency. A lot shall be made up of rice of the same variety.

The Member States may fix a higher minimum quantity.

Where a lot is delivered in several loads (by lorry, barge, railway wagon, etc.) each load must comply with the requisite minimum characteristics, the last subparagraph of Article 8(1) notwithstanding.