This paper determines the cost-benefit levels of yellow croaker farming households by comparing and analysing responses to questionnaires distributed to 405 households located in nine breeding regions of three counties (cities) in the Chinese provinces of Fujian and Zhejiang. A transcendental logarithmic stochastic frontier production function model is used to perform a quantitative analysis on the large yellow croaker production technique efficiency of different forms of industry organisation, with the farming household as the basic production unit. The findings indicate that the average production technology efficiency of the farming households is 84.33% and room for improvement remains; and there are significant differences between the production technique efficiency of farming households from different regions and under different forms of organisation. An analysis of the factors that affect farming household production technique efficiency found that capital input has a greater effect than labour input. Family participation and the number of individuals involved in the rearing of large yellow croakers, participation in technical training, and joining a closely-knit industry organisation all have a significant positive effect on increasing the production technique efficiency. These empirical results provide a basis and practical reference for optimising the development of the large yellow croaker farming industry, enhancing the degree of closeness of the organisations in the industry, and improving aquaculture performance.
