The Spiritual Value of Ngayu-Ayu Towards Brown Rice Production in Sembalun Regency East Lombok

Local wisdom represents one of the strategies employed by farmers to sustain the production and productivity of red rice. In Sembalun District, East Lombok Regency, Ngayu-Ayu constitutes a form of local wisdom that integrates the relationship between humans, nature, and God into agricultural practices. Red rice plays an essential role in the implementation of the Ngayu-Ayu ritual; therefore, its availability must be maintained sustainably. This study employed a mixed-methods approach using a sequential explanatory design. The respondents and key informants consisted of 15 farmers and Ngayu-Ayu traditional leaders. The results indicate that red rice production and productivity fluctuated. The Ngayu-Ayu ritual includes the collection of water from 13 springs as a symbol of the source of life, the Mafakin ritual, which involves reciting prayers or incantations for crop protection, and the Pasak Bumi ritual, which involves the slaughter of a buffalo and the burial of its head as a symbol of land protection. Ngayu-Ayu functions as a form of social, cultural, and spiritual capital that promotes the sustainability of red rice production. These spiritual values strengthen collective responsibility, preserve agricultural practices, and sustain production, although yields have not yet reached optimal levels.