US primary aluminum production falls in March yr/yr

* Primary output down 4.7 percent in March

* And down 15.6 percent in first quarter 

NEW YORK, April 15 (Reuters) - The annual rate of primary U.S. aluminum production was down 4.7 percent at 1,725,249 tonnes in March from 1,809,788 tonnes in March 2009, but rose 1.6 percent from February's annual output rate of 1,697,850 tonnes, the Aluminum Association said in its latest report.

For the first quarter, the annual production rate dropped 15.6 percent to 1,697,096 tonnes from the 2009 first quarter production rate of 2,010,412 tonnes.

Actual production for March came to 146,528 tonnes, lower than 153,708 tonnes in March 2009, but higher than 130,246 tonnes produced in February, the association said.

Actual production for the year through March was down at 418,462 tonnes from 495,718 tonnes in last year's first quarter, the association said.

March's average daily production dropped to 4,727 tonnes from 4,958 tonnes in March 2009, but was up from 4,652 average tonnes produced in February, the aluminum group added.

It also said average daily production tumbled to 4,650 tonnes in the first three months from 5,508 tonnes in the comparable 2009 quarter.

The association said companies participating in the survey account for 100 percent of U.S. primary aluminum production.

(Reporting by Carole Vaporean; Editing by John Picinich)